Hot Cross Buns

Here's a sugar-reduced adaptation of the "Company's Coming Bread" recipe.

 

2 cups skim milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

2 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 cup warm water

2 x 1/4 oz active dry yeast

3 cups all- purpose flour

1 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, softened

1/2 cup Splenda 

2 large eggs

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 cup raisins or currents

Approximately 3 1/2 cups all- purpose flour

2 tsp. butter or hard margarine, softened, for brushing tops

GLAZE:

1 cup icing sugar

1 Tbsp. milk or water

1/4 tsp. vanilla

 

Pour warm milk into large bowl.

Stir sugar in warm water in small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add to milk. Stir.

Beat in first amount of four and wheat germ until very smooth. Cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel. Let stand in oven with light on and door closed for about 50 minutes until bubbly and light.

Cream butter and second amount of sugar in another bowl. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add next 5 ingredients. Stir Add to flour mixture. Stir.

Work in enough remaining flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn out onto floured surface. Knead about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with tea towel. Let stand in oven with light on and door closed for about 1 hour until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Divide into 3 equal portions. Divide each portion into 12 pieces. Shape into buns. Arrange in 3 greased 8 x 8 inch pans. Cover with tea towel. Let stand in oven with light on and door closed for about 1 hour until doubled in size. Cut with scissors or slash with knife or razor blade to make a cross on top 1/8 inch deep. (*I don't do this, because I have yet to perfect the art of making the slash without deflating the buns. I merely make crosses out of the icing) Bake in 375* F. oven for 12- 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks to cool.

Brush warm tops with butter. Continue to cool.

GLAZE: Mix all 3 ingredients together to make a barely pourable glaze. Drizzle or pipe (Fill an icing bag with a large holed tip, or use a freezer bag or plastic baby-bottle liner with a small hole snipped off the corner.) over slashes in cooled buns. Makes 36. 

*to be a really good girl/boy, and avoid that extra bit of sugar, leave some buns un-iced. You won't miss it. I'm still researching the custard/ dough- type cross that they put on commercial hot cross buns. I'll update this when I find a do-able recipe.