Answer : Hot cross bunnies.
HA HA! I had never heard of this said to be classic children joke before, I thought it's rather hilarious (albeit the apparent animal cruelty). It's in the article from which I took this recipe. A bit tardy for an Easter themed post, so I left out the cross.
Hot cross buns
Makes 16
Gourmet Traveller magazine Apr'07, p.39
750 gr plain flour, sifted
55 gr caster sugar
2 tsp (14 gr) dried yeast
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
250 gr sultanas
100 gr candied orange peel, coarsely chopped
Finely grated rind of 1 orange
300 ml milk
100 gr unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
1 egg
Glaze:
55 gr caster sugar
1/4 tsp mixed spice
Combine 700 gr flour, sugar, yeast, spices, sultanas, orange peel and rind and 1 tsp sea salt in a bowl. Gently warm milk and butter over a low heat until butter melts and mixture is tepid. Add egg to milk mixture and whisk.
Make a well in the centre of flour mixture, add milk mixture and stir. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Knock back dough and cut into 16 equal pieces. Knead each piece into a ball, blace in a lightly greased 22cm-square cake pan, cover with a damp tea towel and stand in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 220°C. Combine remaining flour and 1/4 cup water and stir to a smooth paste. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a fine nozzle. Pipe lines down each row to form crosses. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 200°C and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden. (They are ready when they sound hollow when tapped).
For glaze, combine ingredients with 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Brush glaze over hot buns then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
I have a perfectly devine hot cross buns recipe from my Baker book. But for blogsake I decided to venture upon the ravels of the unknown and test a new recipe, adhering to it somewhat rather loosely. Refer to my notes at your own risk bakers.
Notes :
1. Due to the impromptu nature of this baking feat, I used what I could find at home; I swapped raisins for sultanas, and raisins for candied orange peel, lime zest for orange zest.
2. In Baker, the recipe includes a list of spices, a warm blend of cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger and nutmeg. I used that rather than allspice, though next time I'd liberally increase the quantity.
3. I only added the spices and fruits towards the last stages of the kneading, to allow the yeast to begin to work before the spices are added. Another tips from Baker.
4. I didn't add spice to the glaze, and I didn't bother to weigh the sugar nor measure the water. No wonder my glaze didn't stay syrupy and the sugar crystalised.
5. Nevertheless, nice buns they were.
6. A belated Happy Easter. xoxm
You're not too late for Easter. The local Greek Orthodox community did their yearly Easter procession past our place last night as it is the Eastern Easter this week. They're always a week or two behind - Julian Calendar I think.
ReplyDeletehttp://shaneonthego.blogspot.com/2009/04/greek-orthodox-good-friday-wander-past.html
Years ago we lived next door to small bakery in Surry Hills that made the perfect hot cross buns. People would queue all day and wait for the buns as they came out of oven. Alas the bakery is no more and we've been looking for the perfect HCB ever since with no joy. Never thought to make them. Thanks.
When I lived in the bush as a kid we used to have a Chihuahua. He was small enough to chase bunnies down the rabbit holes. We could hear his yapping miles underground. Most of the time he'd re-appear battered and bleeding but never badly hurt after losing to a big bad bunny. Sometimes he'd drag a bunny bigger than himself home. I don't know if he made the bunnies cross. Probably.
During my uni years I worked at David Jones food hall. I was lucky I never got posted in the rotisserie or the deli or poultry. Instead after a few months stint at the pies/savouries I got dispatched to cakes and breads. There I sampled breads from a few good bakeries, I remember, the brasserie bread company makes very nice hCbs. I think they are in Drummoyne. But you must live near Bourke st bakery no ? I never bought breads from there but they bake nice croissants!
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