Synonymous with Easter, and baked and eaten on Good Friday, Hot Cross Buns are as packed with old world lore as they are a fun – and delicious – Easter tradition. There is no precise dating to when Hot Cross Buns first made their appearance. Some bakers say the Babylonians made Hot Cross Buns and offered them to Ishtar, the Queen of Heaven, on the exact same day we now celebrate as Good Friday.

Many other bakers believe that Hot Cross Buns are related to buns made by the Saxons for their “Eostre celebrations” – celebrations in honor of their goddess of spring. Some say it was even present pre-reformation (mid 1500s). A bylaw in London in the early 1500s ruled that Cross Buns could only be sold on Christmas, Good Friday, or for funerals. The cross was definitely on them by 1733. They started being called “hot” sometime in the early 1800s.

One superstition was that Hot Cross Buns actually baked on Good Friday will get through the coming year without growing moldy. Another superstition held that one should be put aside anyway for the coming year: if anyone fell ill during the year, a small piece of it would help the invalid recover. Others say sharing a Hot Cross Bun with someone ensured unbroken friendship for the coming year. If taken on a sea voyage, Hot Cross Buns would protect against shipwreck. Hung in the kitchen, they would protect against fire and help all bread to come out perfect.

Hot Cross Buns are actually quite dry on their own; they are best split in half horizontally, and buttered. The dough has egg in it, as well as spices such as allspice, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Dried fruit used can include currants, candied peel and raisins.

Orange Hot Cross Buns, the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups warm orange juice (110° to 115°)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 to 4 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins
• 6 to 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 3/4 cup warm orange juice. Add the butter, sugar, eggs, orange peel, salt, cinnamon, raisins, remaining orange juice and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down; turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 22 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on the top of each ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
4. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
5. In a small heavy-duty re-sealable plastic bag, combine glaze ingredients until smooth. Cut a small hole in a corner of bag; pipe a cross on each bun.

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