I woke this morning wondering if Hot cross buns are still under threat in the UK!
Since the Fiona bruce affair with her cross, I started to wonder what may happen with Hot cross buns? Do religious minorities grocers that run small shops in the UK, sell Hot cross buns?
In 2007 POOLE Hospital refused to serve hot cross buns to patients on Good Friday amid fears the buns might offend religious minorities. They apparently denied this later.
It is a shame if HCB were under threat ...
A little history followed by the recepie for those that may want to bake some!
The earliest record of the rhyme is in Christmas Box, published in London in 1798. However, there are earlier references to the rhyme as a street cry, for example in Poor Robin's Almanack for 1733, which noted:
Good Friday come this month, the old woman runs
With one or two a penny hot cross buns.
HOT CROSS BUNS
Ingredients
500 g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 tsp salt
75 g caster sugar
7 g sachet driedyeast
300 ml mixed milk and water
150 g sultanas
zest of 2 oranges
80 g mixed peel
2 tsp ground cinnamon
75 g plain flour
For the glaze:
50 g sugar
50 ml water
Method
1. Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a bowl. Slowly add enough of the milk and water mix to achieve pliable dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 5 minutes, then put the dough back into the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour.
2. Incorporate the sultanas, mixed peel, orange zest and cinnamon into the dough and leave to rise for 1 hour.
3. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Divide the dough into 75g pieces and roll each into a ball. Put them on a baking tray and leave to rest for 1 hour.
4. Set the oven to 220°C/gas 8. Pipe the crosses onto the buns , then bake the buns for 25 minutes until golden brown. Combine the sugar and water together to make a syrup and brush this liberally all over the buns. Serve immediately.
Yes, Happy Easter to everyone. Not a holiday/historical event we speak of often on here, probably out of fear Sandman will come down the chimney breathing fire. It is the passage to Spring though and that in itself is worth mentioning, as well as the kid fun of egg hunts and sick tummies from too much candy.
Easter day and dressing up in all the Spring finery and new suits, parades and glorious baked ham dinners was part of my childhood. Probably hard to find now except in very, very rural somewhere. Anyway, Happy Easter to all! Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Easter here, for the non religious like me, is for the kids. Easter egg hunts to load the little nippers up on sugar!
In my case it will be a standing rib roast, yorkshire puddings (yep in southern California) and some shrimp and andouille sausage jambalaya for Mrs M who isn't a big beef eater!!
Happy Easter anyway!!
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
migrant wrote:Easter here, for the non religious like me, is for the kids. Easter egg hunts to load the little nippers up on sugar!
In my case it will be a standing rib roast, yorkshire puddings (yep in southern California) and some shrimp and andouille sausage jambalaya for Mrs M who isn't a big beef eater!!
Happy Easter anyway!!
Sounds really delicious! Sounds like you are doing it right in the US. I would have a problem with that menu though...as Roast Beef and Jambalaya are both one of my favourite dishes , it would be difficult for me to choose! Hope you have a lovely time, enjoy, make the most of it! As long as the kids do not overload every day on sugar, it is ok...make the eggs harder to find! I am sure they will enjoy the treat even more if they do not have it so often! Years ago when I was a child we used to go to church at Easter. It was a lovely time, after we had lunch with my grandmother then out to tea. We would end up at home all singing around the piano (my father was a music teacher amongst other things) It is something that has stuck with me as "good times" forever.
...
It is the passage to Spring though and that in itself is worth mentioning, as well as the kid fun of egg hunts and sick tummies from too much candy.
Anyway, Happy Easter to all! 
Pete 
