Beautimous Buns

Nothing beats a couple of hot buns on a chilly day...

Smooth, round, touchably firm, just the right size for the palm of your hand...the mere thought sends me into a fit of reverie! Their heat, their scent, their allure -- all you need is a dab of butter to make them melt in your mouth. And you don't even need to go near a gym to find them.



Instead what you need is a couple of hours on a crisp autumn day, a pile of dried fruit and some latent desire for the first subtle hint of the holidays. (Note: since this is actually a modified Hot Cross Bun recipe, it technically doesn't matter which holiday...) There's simply something about dried fruit that always puts me in mind of Thanksgiving and Christmas. (And no, I'm not alluding to family).

Hot (Holiday) Buns

What You Need

I.

• 8 oz all-purpose flour (white or wheat)
• 2 oz sugar
• 3 or 4 handfuls of dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, tart cherries, sultanas, currants - you pick!)
• 1 tsp. all-spice
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt

II.

• 1/4 pint milk
• 1/4 pint hot water minus 3 tablespoons
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 4 oz all-purpose flour (white or wheat - same as list I)
• 1 pkg. yeast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 oz melted butter

What You Do

1. Place all of the ingredients from list I in a large mixing bowl. Stir, then set aside.
2. Heat 1/4 pint milk in a small saucepan, being careful not to let it boil (remember, milk boils fast, so keep an eye on it!)
3. Pour the warmed milk into a jug and immediately add 1/4 point hot tap water (minus three tablespoons - don't ask why, just do it. This was a great-grandmother's recipe, there's a reason for it somewhere).
4. Add the yeast, sugar and flour to the milk and water, then stir until the mixture froths (this is a sign that the yeast has activated).
5. Add the egg and melted butter to the yeast mixture, then pour it into the mixing bowl containing the ingredients in list I.
6. Stir then knead the mixture until it forms a dough. (Note: if the mixture seems especially runny, don't panic - just keep on adding small amounts of flour until it comes together - a little faith and perhaps a strong whiskey are helpful at this juncture).
7. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, crank up the stereo to something with a beat and knead for a good ten minutes - until the dough has acquired a smooth, elastic texture.
8. Pull off small lumps of dough and shape them into balls a little smaller than the palm of your hand.
   
9. Place the lumps on a floured baking sheet, cover it with a damp dishtowel and place in a warm spot until they have doubled in size. (This should take about two hours, longer if humidity is low).
10. Bake buns on 400F for 10 minutes. (Watch the bottoms carefully - you want hot, not burning, buns!)

Cool the buns on a wire rack then serve them warm with butter or sliced and toasted - with butter. Makes 12-16 depending upon size.

Perfect for brunches, breakfasts and afternoon snacks!