Pascha Recipes
Maple and Cranberry Hot Cross Buns
Yield: 12 buns
Ingredients
Buns
- 5 teaspoons yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to warm
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 cup plumped dried sour cherries
- 1/2 cup plumped dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, finely minced
Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
- Orange juice as required
- Water as required
Instructions
Buns
- In a large bowl or bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, hand whisk together the yeast and water and let stand 2 minutes.
- Stir in the milk, butter, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt to dissolve.
- Whisk in eggs. Add most of white flour, whole wheat flour, spices and orange zest and mix by hand to make a soft dough. When dough can no longer be mixed by hand, begin kneading (5 to 7 minutes by hand or using a dough hook on an electric mixer), dusting in more all-purpose flour if needed. Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Knead in dried cranberries and cherries.
- Shape dough into a ball and let rest, covered with a tea towel for about 20 minutes.
- Divide into 12 pieces and shape into balls. You may also roll dough out and cut into 3 inch rounds (about 1/2 inch thick).
- Place buns on a lightly-greased baking sheet about one inch apart. Using floured scissors, snip a cross on the top of each bun (about 1/2 inch deep). Paint with egg wash. Let rest for about 25 minutes or until buns look puffy and light.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place buns in oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack. When cool, apply fondant.
Glaze
- In one small bowl, mix orange juice and 1 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar to make a spreadable glaze.
- In a second bowl, mix 1/2 cup of confectioners' with water to make a white glaze. Smear each bun with orange glaze. Allow to set, then drizzle on some white glaze. Allow to set.