Buns are Holy

Hot Cross Buns (makes 16)

Driven to food distraction by numbers, these little hot cakes make your house smell all snug and tradition'y. They are sweet and sticky on the outside with lovely soft buttery lightness that goes real nice with cheese and cups of tea.

270mls milk
2 cloves
2tsp Cinnamon
1tsp of all spice
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
pinch of saffron

450g Strong white bread flour
100g butter (cubed)

1tsp salt

20g caster sugar

3 eggs

10g or 1 sachet of yeast (follow directions)

120g currents or raisins

For the crosses

3 tblsp of flour + some water to make a paste. 

some icing sugar and a paintbrush (small and fine)

Put the milk and spices in a pan and scald. Turn off the heat and leave milky spice mix to infuse for a while. Rub the butter into the flour. Add the salt and sugar and yeast (mix with some warm water to activate). Make a well in the middle, add 2 beaten eggs and gradually add the milk mix until you have a soft dough. Knead for 10 mins. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour (until doubled in size). Knead a wee bit, then stretch out on a work surface and add the currents / raisins. Kneed in so they distribute. Divide into 16.  Put on baking tray. Leave to double in size for a bit. Use  knife and mark a cross on the buns - brush with beaten egg - paint the cross on with flour paste. Place in the oven gas mark 5/6 for 25mins. Mix a little sugar with water and brush each bun - using a fine paintbrush paint the crosses with icing sugar.