Because I love you, I share this recipe in honor of my Mother. A Vegan recreation of the incomperable Hot Cross Buns she baked every spring. A recipe I've perfected, slaving many long hours in the kitchen. Reincarnated as your new Vegan tradition, sistah. I am so proud. In addition to Hot Cross Buns pix above are a few snaps of our Easter Sunday Hot Cross Buns and coffee pre-church gathering. A great time was had by all.
Hot Cross Bun recipes always specify that they're better eaten the same day they're baked. Well, to enjoy them for breakfast, when they're usually eaten, you'd have to get up awfully early because this delicious yeast bread requires two risings. So bake them the night before. Leave them in their pans overnight covered with foil. The following morning, with foil still on, warm them in a 170 degree oven for 15 minutes to 1/2-hour. Separate and decorate. They're perfect.
Equipment: One recipe requires two 8-inch square pans. / You'll also want a pastry bag with plain 1/4-inch round tip for piping the icing (#10 Ateco). Or, simply fill a plastic bag with the icing, snip a corner off and pipe away. / A Pastry Cutter makes short work of cutting the butter into the flour.
Hot Cross Buns - makes 30
Earth Balance non-hydrogenated butter: 6-ounces, plus more for baking pans
all purpose white flour: 5 1/2-cups, plus more, to keep dough from sticking while kneading
white sugar: 3/4-cup, plus 1-teaspoon for proofing yeast
freshly grated nutmeg: 1/2-teaspoon
ground cinnamon: 1/4-teaspoon
ground cardamom: 1/4-teaspoon
salt: 1/2-teaspoon
finely grated zest of two oranges
currants: 4-ounces
golden raisins: 4-ounces
unsweetened milk - soy, almond or hemp: 1-cup
active dry yeast: two 1/4-ounce packets
Ener-G egg replacer powder: 6-teaspoons
water: 1/2 cup
Measure 6-ounces Earth Balance and put into freezer to hold 'til ready.
Sift flour, sugar, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.
'Proof' the yeast (always check expiration date). Measure milk into a microwave-safe cup. Add 1-teaspoon sugar. Microwave for 30-45 seconds to the temperature you'd use in a baby's bottle. Or heat stovetop. Whisk yeast into milk mixture. Within 5 - 10 minutes the yeast will foam.
While yeast is proofing, whisk Ener-G egg replacer power with the water.
Cut the frozen butter into the flour/spice mix with fingers or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal.
Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour in the proofed yeast mixture, the Ener-G mixture, the currants, raisins and orange zest. Stir with a big spoon 'til it sort of pulls together - there will be a lot of unincorporated flour. Dump out onto your work surface and knead away for about 10 minutes - until the dough is smooth and elastic. If dough sticks to work surface, use flour sparingly.
Spray the interior of the mixing bowl with oil. Drop the dough into the bowl. Turn the dough over. Cover loosly with a piece of plastic. Put the bowl in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour - until the dough has doubled in size.
Butter up your two 8-inch square pans.
Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
Knead the risen dough briefly on work surface and divide into two pieces. While working on the first, put the other back into the bowl and re-cover with the plastic. Make the dough ball into a log and cut into three equal pieces. Cut each of those into five equal pieces and roll each into a tight ball. Place all 15 into a prepared pan. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
Cover each pan loosly with plastic and set them in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, until the dough has roughly doubled in size. The buns will now be touching.
Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pans. Bake another 13 minutes until light golden on top.
When ready to serve pull the buns apart and pipe icing in a simple cross atop each.
Icing
Ener-G egg replacer powder: 1-1/2 teaspoons
water: 2-Tablespoons
fresh lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
confectioner's sugar: 1 1/2 to 2-cups, sifted
Whip Ener-G with water with an electric mixer in a medium mixing bowl for about two minutes, until thick and frothy.
Add lemon juice and, slowly, the confecitioner's sugar to an almost frosting-like thickness. It needs to be spooned into your pastry bag, not poured.
Make a cross atop each bun.
Oh, and by the way: Yves Montand says "Go Vegan. Why Not?"
