
“He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!”
As we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this Holy Week gives us much to ponder. How do you celebrate Easter? There are so many different traditions from across the world and throughout history, that I have found it interesting to learn about other times and places that people celebrated the Easter story.
I also recognize that many of our Easter traditions aren’t specifically mentioned in the Bible (bunnies, eggs, candy . . . . ) and I know that some families choose to focus exclusively on the Biblical story of Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection at this time of year. I’ve also been reading some articles on other perspectives about when and how to celebrate the Resurrected Christ.
One thing that is for sure, for all of us, no matter when, where, or how we celebrate Easter, is that we are celebrating the gift of eternal life that is only through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever your family traditions are at this time of year, we all can come together to celebrate HIM!
One of our favorite Easter traditions is making Hot Cross Buns. We try to keep the focus on the Bible story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection during this holiday time, and one way to do that is with the story of Hot Cross Buns. According to legend, the origins of hot cross buns may go back as far as the 12th century. In one story, an Anglican monk baked the buns and marked them with a cross in honor of Good Friday. Over time they gained popularity, and eventually became a symbol of Easter weekend.
In many historically Christian countries, the buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. They are believed by some to pre-date Christianity, although the first recorded use of the term ” hot cross bun” is not until 1733.
We’ve celebrated Easter for many years this way, and now it is just part of our family’s tradition at this time of year. Here is a recipe to check out if you would like to start this tradition in your family.
Hot Cross Buns
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour
BUNS
- 1/4 cup apple juice or rum
- 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried currants
- 1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk (save the white for the topping)
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 4 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
TOPPING
- 1 large egg white, reserved from above
- 1 tablespoon milk
ICING
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 4 teaspoons milk, or enough to make a thick, pipeable icing
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 10″ square pan or 9″ x 13″ pan.
- Mix the rum or apple juice with the dried fruit and raisins, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave briefly, just till the fruit and liquid are very warm, and the plastic starts to “shrink wrap” itself over the top of the bowl. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Note: If you worry about using plastic wrap in your microwave, simply cover the bowl with a glass lid.
- When the fruit is cool, mix together all of the dough ingredients (including the eggs and the egg yolk from the separated egg); hold out the fruit for the time being. Knead the mixture, using an electric mixer or bread machine, until the dough is soft and elastic. Mix in the fruit and any liquid not absorbed.
- Let the dough rise for 1 hour, covered. It should become puffy, though may not double in bulk.
- Divide the dough into billiard ball-sized pieces, about 3 3/4 ounces each. A heaped muffin scoop (about 1/3 cup) makes about the right portion. You’ll make 12 to 14 buns. Use your greased hands to round them into balls. Arrange them in the prepared pan.
- Cover the pan, and let the buns rise for 1 hour, or until they’ve puffed up and are touching one another. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Whisk together the reserved egg white and milk, and brush it over the buns.
- Bake the buns for 20 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Remove from the oven, carefully turn the buns out of the pan (they should come out in one large piece), and transfer them to a rack to cool.
- Mix together the icing ingredients, and when the buns are completely cool, pipe it in a cross shape atop each bun.
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