Easiest Hot Cross Buns Ever!

Well, it's Easter: another food holiday!  I thought I would share this amazingly simple recipe for Hot Cross Buns.  There's no kneading or shaping, and they taste heavenly.  These are best the first day, but can be successfully frozen: if you haven't iced them already, you can refresh them in a 350°oven for about 15 minutes.

Hot Cross Buns

2 C. Warm Water
1 T. Yeast
1/3 C. Sugar
1 t. Salt
Zest and juice of 1 Lemon
3/4 C. Raisins
4 C. Flour
1 t. Cinnamon

Frosting

1/4 C. Softened Butter
2 C. Icing Sugar
1/2 t. Vanilla
Enough Milk to make a smooth frosting


Combine the water and yeast in a large bowl.  Let sit a minute, then stir in the sugar, salt, zest, juice, raisins and flour to make a sticky dough. I use a large wooden spoon to start and then switch to my hands to make sure all the flour is evenly incorporated.  Sprinkle the cinnamon over the top and give another quick stir (it looks pretty just swirled in there).  Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about an hour, until it has doubled in size.  Butter a 9x13 pan and scoop in the dough.  Using buttered hands, gently push the dough to evenly cover the pan using your fingertips.  If it resists, let it rest for five minutes and try again.  Next, cut the dough so that it will pull apart into buns after baking: using a sharp knife, carefully cut the dough as if you were cutting brownies in a pan.  You can cut them to any size you like, I suggest 4 down and 6 across to make 24 buns.   Preheat the oven to 350° and let the dough rise again until it has doubled in height.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.  Place the pan on a rack and let cool.  Combine the butter, icing sugar, and vanilla.  Add milk by teaspoonfuls until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.  Use a piping bag or sandwich bag with the corner snipped off to pipe a cross on each bun.

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The Gorgeous Results