Cranberry & Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

I was sitting by the Christmas tree, enjoying a cup of coffee and a couple of Christmas cookies during the lull between Christmas and New Year’s, when I realized that I had intended to post the recipe for the very cookies I was enjoying.  I had hoped to make it happen before Christmas.  Oops.  At least I will get it done before the New Year.  And as a consequence, the recipe will be here for all the Christmases that are yet to come.

This particular recipe appeared in Gourmet magazine way back in 2006.  For many years, Gourmet magazine’s December issue was without fail a treasure trove of wonderful recipes for holiday cookies.  If you look through the Christmas cookies I’ve posted…or if you ever took one of my holiday cookie classes…you know that many of the recipes that I have shared were straight out of Gourmet.

Sadly with this recipe, the first time I made it, it was a bit of a failure.  The pictured cookies are neat and square.  Mine were misshapen and lumpy looking.  As someone who strives for neatness in cookies, this was disappointing to say the least.  

On the plus side, the cookies had a fantastic flavor.  I love cranberries and pistachio with orange.  But I probably wouldn’t have thought to add cinnamon to the mix.  It is just the right touch. 

I also love the sparkly and crunchy exterior coating of turbinado sugar.  As it turns out, this is a bit of a fussy step...and you can skip it and still have a pretty nice cookie.  But I think it's worth the effort.

The flavors...and the thought of how lovely these cookies could be…made me want to fix the recipe.  And to be honest, the recipe didn’t require a ton of tweaking.  As always with baked goods, the key to success is in the details.

As I looked at the recipe I realized they were simply slice and bake shortbread.  And since I have a delicious recipe for a slice a bake shortbread, I thought it would be worth comparing the two.  As it turned out, with the exception of the flour, the recipes were identical.  But frankly, it’s difficult to tell how much flour the original recipe called for since the recipe is in cups/measuring spoons instead of weights.  (I wrote a lengthy rant on this subject a few years ago.)  So the first thing I did to alter the recipe was to correct the amount of flour. 

The other thing that struck me as odd about the recipe was the instruction to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  I suppose that once the amount of flour was corrected, that extended creaming would have produced a delicious cookie.  But I had shortbread in my head as I was looking at the recipe…and shortbread does not receive a lengthy creaming.  The purpose of creaming is aeration.  And shortbread doesn’t want aeration.  The dough just needs to be well amalgamated.  Many traditional recipes rub the butter into dry ingredients—dispensing with even a short creaming (for blending purposes) altogether.

Finally, I lowered the oven temperature a bit.  Shortbread bakes low and slow so it will be baked through…but still be lovely and pale.  The original recipe baked a fairly standard cookie temperature of 350°.  I reduced it to 325°. (Some recipes…for thick shortbread…bake at an even lower temperature.)

My adjusted recipe produced the cookie I had been imagining.  It has a nice crisp shortbread texture and a pale, light golden color that sets the pistachios and dried cranberries off nicely.  The intended flavors of the original still come through.  It is a delicious little cookie…perfect for a holiday platter.

 

Cranberry-Pistachio Slice & Bake Shortbread Cookies

 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks/170 g.) unsalted butter, softened but cool
6 T. (75 g.) sugar
1/2 t. orange zest
1 3/4 c. (210 g.) all-purpose flour
3/8 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. (65 g.) pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/3 c. (54 g.) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped if “whole”

Finishing ingredients (optional):
1 large egg or white, beaten
Turbinado sugar for decorating 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, briefly cream the butter, sugar and orange zest…just to combine (it doesn’t need to be light & fluffy).  Add the flour, salt and cinnamon and mix on low speed until the flour is beginning to be absorbed.  

Add the pistachios and craisins and mix until the dough forms clumps.  

Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, forming a rough strip about 12 inches long.  Using the plastic wrap, press the dough into a rectangular, square or round “log.” Wrap tightly and chill until firm.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scatter the turbinado sugar in a strip on a piece of parchment (you’ll need about a quarter cup). Unwrap the log, brush with the egg and roll in the sugar, pressing to help the sugar adhere.  If the log softens during this operation, chill briefly to let it firm up again. 

Using a thin, sharp knife, slice the log into 1/4-inch-thick slices; 

place the cookies about an inch apart on the baking sheet. 

Bake until the cookies are set and just beginning to turn a very pale golden color—about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and let cookies cool on the sheets.  Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

(Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, December 2006)

Printable Version

 

Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Cranberries, Maple-Glazed Pecans & Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette

This has been a winter of green salads for me.  Ever since Christmas it has seemed like I have always had an abundance of salad greens in my fridge…left from classes, pop up dinners, etc.  Baby lettuces, spinach, arugula, romaine, radicchio, endive….  I’m sure I’m missing some.  There are worse problems to have.  These leftover greens have provided the foundation for many a delicious winter lunch—satisfying my depths of winter craving for things fresh and raw.

If you want to be able to make spontaneous salads, you just need to make a point to keep a well-stocked salad pantry.  In addition to greens (if you don’t know how to store your greens so they keep for a while, check out my long ago post onhow to do so),  you’ll want to have nuts and seeds, dried and fresh fruits (this time of year: apples, pears, and all kinds of citrus),  cheeses and olives… things like eggs, avocado and canned/leftover meats/fish for substance…and finally, things like celery, radish, onion (red, scallion, shallots) for sharpness and crunch. 

If in addition to all this you keep a couple of nice homemade vinaigrettes in your fridge, you will be able to have a delicious and simple—or complex—salad anytime you like.  I almost always have a plain/basic vinaigrette in my fridge—one that will go with just about everything (usually mustard and shallot based).  And then another one with some kind of interesting flavor profile that fits the current season.  For example, in late winter and early spring, I like to make one with reduced orange juice (great on citrus, green vegetables like asparagus and green beans, beets and avocado).  And the maple one that I am sharing today is perfect for the fall and winter months. If all else fails, if you have olive oil and lemon juice (or a selection of vinegars), you can dress your greens with a squeeze of the latter and a drizzle of the former…and a sprinkling of salt & freshly ground pepper.

The salad I’m sharing today happens to be the one I served at my most recent curbside pickup dinner, but it could easily have been a spur of the moment pantry salad.  Most of the time after I have spent a lot of time cooking something, I’m not really in the mood to eat it myself.  (Hasn’t everyone experience this after big holiday meal preparations?).  But I was tired enough after my last curbside that I didn’t really want to start my dinner from scratch, so I had the salad I had served to my clients.  I was so glad I did.  Even in my “I’m tired of this food” state, I thought it was exceptionally good.  I knew I had to share it here.

It is just a simple spinach salad … enhanced with a few of the pantry elements listed above:  cheese…nuts…dried fruit…a tasty vinaigrette.  But don’t be fooled by its simplicity.  With just a few ingredients, it manages to hit all the right salad notes.  It is refreshing, tangy, salty and slightly sweet.  The addition of a little shredded romaine to the spinach, plus the crunchy maple glazed pecans and chewy dried cranberries, give texture…and the maple syrup spiked vinaigrette brings everything together nicely.  If you maintain a salad pantry, you probably have all the ingredients on hand to make it right now.

 

Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola, Dried Cranberries & Maple Glazed Pecans

5 oz. baby spinach (weighed after any obtrusive stems have been removed)
2 to 3 oz. romaine or radicchio, sliced in 1/4- to 1/2-inch wide ribbons
3/4 to 1 c. Maple Glazed Pecans (recipe below)
3/4 c./3 oz. dried cranberries/craisins
2 1/2 to 3 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola (choose a harder/crumbly aged variety—piccante or naturale), or substitute Feta
1 oz. shaved red onion, rinsed under cold running water and blotted dry (optional)
1/2 to 2/3 recipe Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Place all of the ingredients except the vinaigrette in a large bowl.  Season with salt & freshly ground pepper.  Drizzle a third cup of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss until everything is well coated…adding a bit more if necessary…but be careful, you don’t want a sodden salad. 

Mound the greens on a platter or divide among four individual plates.  If you like, drizzle a little more of the dressing over the plated salads. Serves 4
 

Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette

1/4 c. white wine vinegar
2 T. minced shallot
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. Maple syrup
5 T. olive oil
5 T. vegetable oil

Place the first three ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the shallots to soften.  Add the Dijon and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the maple syrup.  Add the oils in a thin stream, whisking constantly.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  You may need as much as another 1/4 t. of salt, depending on your palate (I add almost that much).

Makes a generous cup of vinaigrette.

Maple Glazed Pecans

Place the pecans (halves or coarsely broken pieces) in a bowl and add 2 T. of maple syrup and a slightly mounded 1/4 t. of kosher salt for every cup (115 g./4 oz.) of pecans.  Spread the nuts in a greased/oiled/sprayed baking sheet that is just large enough to hold the pecans in a snug single layer.  Transfer the pan to a 325° oven and bake for five minutes.  Give the nuts a stir with a heat proof spatula or pancake turner and return to the oven.  Continue to bake until the syrup is thickened and bubbling…and has darkened slightly.  The amount of time this will take will vary greatly according to how many cups of pecans you are preparing.  For one cup it might take 2 or 3 minutes, for 4 cups it will be closer to 6 or 7 minutes.  Do not under bake or the pecans will remain sticky.

Remove from the oven and immediately transfer the nuts to a second greased/sprayed/baking sheet, quickly spreading/separating the nuts…and continuing to stir and separate every few minutes as they cool.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

 Printable Version 

Pumpkin Boule with Dried Cranberries & Pepitas

I have been baking yeast breads for a long time.  Long before I went to cooking school to become a chef I was making pizza dough…my grandmother’s dinner rolls…cinnamon buns…honey whole wheat loaves…etc.  I can probably knead dough in my sleep.  But at some point during the last 20 years or so the manner in which kneading is accomplished began to expand and change.  The methods and techniques I learned are still used…they work very well after all—and they still produce beautiful breads.  But among artisan bread bakers—whose amazing “old world” breads can now be found in specialty bakeries everywhere—you will often find that they are manipulating their doughs in a very different way. 

I was aware that this alternate method of working with dough was developing around me.  But it—along with sourdough—seemed beyond the purview of the occasional bread baker.  It was while learning about sourdough by watching the IG Live tutorials from Bread Ahead Bakery during the early days of the pandemic that I discovered that this new method (“folding” the dough…as opposed to kneading) was in fact less—rather than more—complicated.

The reason we knead dough is to develop gluten.  Wheat flour contains a couple of proteins that produce gluten when water (or other liquid) is introduced via a mechanical action like stirring…or kneading.  The stretchy strands of gluten are what give yeast doughs their strength and their loft.  If you have ever kneaded dough, you have seen this development occur as the dough goes from a lumpy mass to a smooth, springy ball. 

If I understand the process correctly, in the slow measured pace of the “no knead” folding method, much of the mechanical action is occurring at the microscopic level as the yeast consumes the sugars in the flour.  By occasionally folding the dough over on itself, you are exposing the yeast to fresh sources of food so it can continue to multiply…and at the same time as you stretch the dough during each fold you are strengthening the developing gluten.  And if you try this method, each time you return to the bowl to give the dough a fold, you will notice that the dough discernibly smoother and is increasingly more supple and elastic.  It really is amazing.  

Here are some pictures of Ciabatta from first sloppy mix to risen dough (after three sets of folds): 

Having described it as I understand it at this point, I feel I must add a caveat.  I have barely scratched the surface in acquiring knowledge of this big world of artisan breads…my understanding of this process is minimal and mostly experiential.  Ten years from now I may come across this post and be appalled at how I’ve described it.  In the end, what I really know now is that the breads I have made using this method have been fantastic.  And I’m excited to continue to expand my repertoire of breads that use it.

There are a couple of ways (that I know of…probably more) to execute a fold.  Many people simply leave the dough in the bowl.  To fold, simply grab one side of the dough, pull up—stretching it as far as it will allow without tearing or breaking—and then lay it down over itself.  Repeat this action three times, giving the bowl a quarter of a turn each time so that you are folding the dough from all four points of the compass.  My preferred way of folding is to tip the dough out on an oiled sheet pan (or you can simply oil your counter), gently flatten/stretch it a bit into a rectangle and then execute two letter or envelope-style folds:  fold the top third of the rectangle down…then the bottom third up (as if you were folding an 81/2- by 11-inch sheet of paper to stuff into an envelope).  Rotate the resulting slender rectangle a quarter of a turn…flatten it slightly and repeat the same style of fold.  Turn it over and put it back in the bowl. 

This fall as we approached pumpkin season, armed with my new knowledge, I was determined to work on a yeasted pumpkin bread that I have been playing around with for several years now.  I always felt it had great potential…but I was somehow missing something in the process that would turn it into a consistent and delicious loaf.

"Crumb shot" of that first never-to-be-duplicated loaf.

The first time I made this pumpkin boule I had been poking around looking for a bread that used whey.  I frequently have whey on hand (left after making Labneh) and feel bad just throwing it away.  Somewhere I had read it was good in bread.   I found a recipe for a pumpkin and whey boule by Dan Lepard that looked interesting.  Then I had pumpkin bread on the brain so I started looking for other pumpkin yeast bread recipes.  I found one that was similar, but also included some traditional spices (which seemed like a great idea).  The loaf I ended up making pulled from both recipes…and it was delicious.

Unfortunately I was never really able to repeat the success (although I tried every year).  This year though, with some of my newly acquired knowledge and experience, I thought I would try again…this time incorporating folding…and baking in a Dutch oven (something else I had never tried prior to the pandemic).

It’s amazing what a little knowledge can do.  The loaf was all I had hoped and imagined it could be: a crusty boule with a tender crumb…studded with crispy pepitas and tangy craisins.  I realized only later that I had forgotten to use whey….  I like it so well just the way it is that I have never even tried to make it with whey (even though I have made it several times this fall).

I have loved having this bread on hand during the autumn months.  (So much so that it replaced my new “house” sourdough loaf for a while…).  It is delicious toasted …smeared with Labneh…or butter…and honey.  I’m sure no one is surprised to hear that I have put it through its paces for grilled cheese sandwiches.  (It makes an unbelievably good grilled cheese–especially if you include a little bit of tangy goat cheese…).  And of course it is very fine sandwiched around roast turkey, crunchy lettuce, cranberry sauce and mayo…plus whatever else you happen to like on your leftover turkey sandwich.  It is a loaf I am certain will be a part of my autumn repertoire for years to come. 

 

Pumpkin Boule with Craisins & Pepitas

285 g. warm water (see notes)
165 g. pumpkin purée/solid pack pumpkin
4 g. (1 1/4 t.) instant or active dry yeast
500 g. bread flour
25 g olive oil
10 g (1 1/2 t.) fine salt
1/8 t. each cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
Olive oil for folding
85 g. pepitas, lightly toasted (see notes)
125 g. craisins (left whole, or coarsely chopped)

Place the water in a large mixing bowl and whisk in the pumpkin.  Sprinkle the yeast over this mixture and whisk in.  If you are using active dry yeast, wait a minute or two for the yeast to soften (instant yeast will dissolve “instantly”).  Add the flour, olive oil, salt and spices (in that order)

 and mix until you have a homogenous mass.  (A Danish dough whisk is my new favorite tool for this initial mixing—but if you don’t have one, a rubber spatula or wooden spoon is fine—just remember to scrape all the dough off of your tool and back into the bowl—you don’t want to waste/lose any dough.)  

Using a rounded bowl scraper, scrape down the sides/clean the bowl so that you have a nice, neat mass of dough.  

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 1/4 hour. 

After an hour and a quarter, execute the first fold, incorporating the pepitas and craisins at the same time:  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on a sheet pan 

and spread with your hands (or a brush) so that the dough won’t stick.  Scrape the dough in one mass onto the oiled sheet and with lightly oiled hands/fingertips, nudge the dough out into a large rectangle. (Only stretch as much as the dough will allow without tearing.)  Scatter two-thirds of the craisins and two-thirds of the pepitas over the bottom two-thirds of the rectangle.

Starting with the portion of the dough without any pepitas or craisins, fold the dough in thirds as if you were folding a letter to put it in an envelope.  

Rotate the dough 90° and repeat this letter/envelope fold with the remaining third of the pepitas and craisins (spreading out the dough as much as it will allow and placing the craisins and pepitas only on the lower two-thirds of the dough). 

When you are done you will have a square-ish ball of dough with all of the craisins and pepitas encased inside.  Place the dough back in its bowl and cover again with plastic wrap.

After 45 minutes, scrape the dough back out onto the oiled sheet and give it another two letter/envelope-style folds exactly as before (only this time you obviously won’t be adding anything to the dough).  

Return to the bowl and let it remain at room temperature until almost doubled—about an hour.  

Transfer to the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation and allow the flavor to develop overnight.

The next day, take the dough out of the fridge (it will have more than doubled) and scrape it onto a lightly floured counter.  

Give it a gentle pre-shape into a loose ball (in doing this, you will effectively deflate the dough—but don’t aggressively “punch it down” or “knock it back”—just gently form it into a round).  

Turn the bowl upside down over the ball of dough and let it rest on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes. 

After it has had a rest, scrape most of the flour off of the counter and form the dough into a tight ball/boule by working against the counter.  (If any craisins pop through the surface during this process, simply poke them back toward the interior of the loaf and pinch the dough around them—they will burn during the baking process is left exposed on the surface.)   Place the loaf with the pinched side/seams down on a semolina dusted or parchment-lined (see notes) sheet pan or pizza peel.

Turn the mixing bowl upside down over the dough again and let the loaf rise in a warmish spot until it is doubled (until the dough doesn’t spring back—or springs back very slowly—when prodded with a floured finger).  I often resort to sticking the peel/pan with the loaf in the oven with the light on…or with the proofing function on…when my house is very cold.  The loaf should be ready to bake in about 3 hours.

A half hour before you are ready to bake, place a covered 5 quart (or thereabout) Dutch oven in your oven and preheat the oven to 475°.  When ready to bake, uncover the loaf and dredge lightly (using a small sieve) with flour.  Give the loaf three parallel slashes with a sharp knife or razor blade.  

Take the Dutch oven out of the oven (be careful…it is screaming hot), remove the lid and transfer the loaf to the pot—either by placing your open hands on either side of the loaf and scooping it up and dropping it quickly and gently into the pot…or by lifting it using the edges of the parchment paper and placing it in the pot with the parchment underneath.  Put the lid back on and transfer to the oven.  Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 450°.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and continue to bake until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 205°…another 15 minutes (give or take, depending on your oven).

Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and cool on a wire rack (I cool mine just by letting it sit on the “grates” of my gas stove).  It should be completely cool before slicing.

Notes: 

• Cinnamon and ginger in small quantities enhance yeast activity. In large quantities they have the opposite effect and retard the activity of the yeast. Furthermore, this loaf is not intended to be “spicy” or have any kind of a sweet, “pumpkin spice” flavor profile. The spices are present to add warmth…and a hint of flavor and fragrance evocative of flavors we associate with autumn. Adding extra spice will not do any favors for the yeast…or, in my opinion, the final flavor.
• Yeast thrives and is happiest in a warmish environment. When I mix up this dough, I aim for an initial dough temperature of 80 to 83 degrees. You will need to consider the temperature of the major ingredients (flour, pumpkin and water) in order to achieve this. In the fall and winter my home is cool (somewhere around 67° or less). This means my flour will be about that temperature…and the pumpkin too, if I am just opening a can. But more often than not, I make this bread when I have a portion of a can left…which means the temperature of the pumpkin will be closer to 40°. Since I want my dough to be around 80°, the only way to get it there is by manipulating the temperature of the water. For me, this means I use hot tap water and then I take the temperature of the water after I put it in the bowl (remember, the bowl is cool too, if it has been at room temperature, and will bring down the temperature of the water). I have found that with room temperature flour…and cold pumpkin…if my water temperature in the bowl is around 115°…that I end up with an initial dough temperature (right after mixing) of 81°. If your house is significantly warmer than mine…and if your pumpkin is at room temperature…you will need to lower the temperature of the water a bit. And if all of this is too complicated for you, just mix up your dough with warm water. As long as you don’t allow your yeast to come into contact with water/liquid that is hotter than 115° you will be able to produce a nice loaf…it will just rise/prove at a different rate than mine. 
• To toast the pepitas, spread them in a small baking pan and place in a 350° oven for 7 to 10 minutes—or until some are beginning to turn golden around the edges. You may also toast them in a dry skillet over moderate heat (but you must stir frequently and regularly…and constantly at the end). 
• This is not a particularly wet dough and I have not had difficulty moving it from the board to the Dutch oven, but if you are worried that it might stick…or that you will have difficulty scooping it up and moving it to the pot…let it proof/rise on a square of parchment paper. Then when it comes time to transfer it to the Dutch oven, simply lift and move it using the parchment paper. It will not harm the loaf to bake it with parchment paper in the pot. 
• November 2024:  I didn't have quite enough pumpkin to make the full recipe.  So I made exactly 80% of the recipe.  If you have ever made this bread, you know it makes a very large loaf.  The 80% sized loaf made a more moderately sized loaf that I found particularly appealing.

Printable Version 

 

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

I am quite late with this particular post.  Not only is Good Friday (the day when tradition dictates that Hot Cross Buns appear) past, but Easter has passed as well.  Such is my life at the moment.  Posting anything at all is a bit of a stretch.  Posting something in a timely manner probably isn’t going to happen.  But since Good Friday and Easter will come around next year—and I will be making these every year from now on (they’re that good!)—I’m going to go ahead and post the recipe now.

As a lover of English foods in general, for many years I was a bit mystified by the popularity of the Hot Cross Bun.   I have made them on more than one occasion.  And I’m sure that I probably had a commercial version when I was living in London.  But I don’t ever remember having one (mine, or otherwise) that impressed me too much.  I knew this could only be because I hadn’t been to the right place…or found the right recipe.

Since I wanted to love them, (What’s not to love about the idea of a soft, slightly sweet, slightly spicy, roll—filled with dried and candied fruit?) last year, as the Lenten season drew to a close, I finally decided to do some serious research and try them again.  I turned first to the recipes and writings of Darina Allen (of the Ballymaloe House & Cookery School in Ireland).  I can think of no better living resource for the traditional foods of the British Isles.  Then, while poking around on line, I ran across a recipe (also from Ireland) that looked promising from a place called the Firehouse Bakery. 

The two recipes are not dissimilar, but I liked the method that Patrick Ryan (of Firehouse) used for incorporating the butter.  Somewhat like a brioche, the butter isn’t added until the gluten begins to develop in the kneaded dough (after 5 minutes or so).  This method takes a bit longer—and requires a stand mixer—but ultimately allows for better gluten development (fat is a gluten inhibitor).  I used this method for the pumpkin dinner rolls I posted a few years ago, and I love the light and tender results.   There is a great vimeo available on line of Ryan making his rolls.  It is very instructive. 

In the end my recipe was basically a combination of these two.  My greatest change was to switch to all-purpose flour from the strong/bread flour called for in their recipes.  I may be wrong, but my suspicion is that American all-purpose flour has a protein content that is fairly close to (although not quite as high as) British “strong” flour.  It is always difficult to translate a recipe from one country to another because of the differences in the ingredients.  I thought erring on the side of a lower protein flour (with the all-purpose) would be better than using one that had more protein (American bread flour).  The latter might have made the rolls too hard.  A Hot Cross Bun is supposed to be soft.     

I did look at other British recipes…and a few American ones…mostly to get a feel for the range of butter and sugar and quantity of spice and dried fruits.   There was a fair amount of variation among recipes in this regard.  In the end, I went on the high side with butter, sugar and dried/candied fruit.  These are the things that make them special for the holidays, in my opinion.  My rolls are not too sweet or too rich—but they are definitely not plain.   I can see how they would seem quite decadent—and a welcome treat on Good Friday—after the traditional Lenten fast from dairy-rich foods.

You will find that most American versions of these buns are topped with a piped cross of powdered sugar frosting after they have been baked.  I have never seen a British recipe finished this way.  Traditionally the buns are topped with a couple of strips of crossed pâte brisée/pie dough…or a piped “liquid cross”…prior to baking.  Some recipes slash each proofed roll in a cross (similar to Soda Bread)—but this doesn’t seem to me to be the norm.  I ended up using the Firehouse bakery “liquid cross” …mostly because I was curious about it.  It was like nothing I had ever worked with.  I’m so glad I tried it.  It is very easy to make.  And since it is baked on, it can’t be smeared or smudged off.  It also looks pleasingly neat and precise.

And for Americans who are used to using the term “bun” to refer to something that you fill with a hamburger or a hot dog, according to Elizabeth David (English Bread & Yeast Cookery…among others), in the British Isles a “bun” is a ‘small, soft, plump, sweet, fermented (yeasted) cake.”  There are of course loads of traditional English breads that fall into this category: Chelsea Buns, Currant Buns, Spice Buns…and Hot Cross Buns…to name a few.  So even though Easter is past for the year, you could still make these delicious little rolls.  Just leave the liquid cross off and you’ll have a Spice Bun.  Or make them with all currants and you’ll have a Currant Bun.   Either would be delicious with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea.  Or do as I do and enjoy them with your breakfast (they freeze beautifully).  And then, when Easter rolls around again next year, the making of the buns will be easy and you can focus on learning how to make and pipe the cross. 

 

 

Hot Cross Buns

454 g. (4 c.) all-purpose flour  

75 g. (6 T.) sugar

1 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. allspice

2 T. warm water

7 g. (2 1/4 t.) instant or active dry yeast

1 large egg, beaten

240 g. (1 c.) whole milk, tepid

Zest of one orange

85 g. (6 T.) unsalted butter—cool but malleable, cut into 6 chunks

170 g. (1 c.) mixed dried and candied fruits (see notes)

1 egg beaten with 1 t. of water and a pinch of salt for egg wash

50 g. (1/2 c.) cake flour

50 g. (1/2 c. less 1 T.) all-purpose flour

40 g. (1/3 c.) powdered sugar

60 to 75 g. (4 to 5 T.) whole milk

28 g. (2 T.) water

25 g. (2 T.) sugar

Place the flour, sugar, salt and spices in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Place the water in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water.  If using active dry yeast, let it sit for a minute or two to soften.  Add the egg, milk, orange zest, and dry ingredients.  Using the dough hook mix on low speed (no. 2 or 3) until the ingredients are homogenous (a minute or two).  Increase the speed to medium (no. 4) and mix until the dough is just beginning to pull away from the sides—about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the butter while the mixer is still running and continue to mix for a minute or two, stopping to scrape down the sides a couple of times, until the butter is absorbed.  Continue to knead until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl and is smooth, velvety and elastic—about 6 to 8 minutes.  

(The first time you make this, waiting for the dough to come together will be an act of faith.  But eventually—and suddenly—it will.  If your butter is warm...or very soft...it will take longer.  Resist the temptation to add more flour.  This is a soft sticky dough.)  Add the dried fruits and continue to mix until distributed throughout the dough.

Lightly butter a large bowl.  Butter your hands.  If the fruit is not well distributed, scrape the dough out of the mixing bowl and onto a lightly floured surface and use a bench scraper to help mix and fold until the fruit is spread uniformly throughout the dough.  Using your (buttered hands) form the dough into a ball by stretching the surface around to the bottom four or five times, rotating the ball of dough after each stretch.  

Place the ball in the buttered bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise at a warm room temperature until doubled in bulk—about two hours.  

(At this point you may form the rolls—or chill the dough over night and form the rolls in the morning.  If chilling over night, deflate the dough before covering the bowl with plastic wrap and placing in the refrigerator.)

Scrape the dough out onto the counter and deflate.  Cut dough into 16 equal portions (about 70 g. each).  Round each piece into a smooth ball.  (The dough will be only slightly sticky—and should be very manageable.  You should only need a whisper of flour…if any at all.) 

Place the formed rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading them out evenly so that they (hopefully) won’t touch when they bake.  

Cover loosely with sprayed plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size—about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

When the rolls are almost fully risen, mix the cake flour, powdered sugar and 4 T. of the milk.  You should have a stiff mixture.  Add a little more milk only if it is too stiff to pipe.  Scrape into a piping bag fitted with a scant 3/16-inch tip.  Carefully brush the rolls with egg wash. 

Pipe crosses on the buns.  

Bake in a preheated 375° oven until golden brown and cooked through—about 15 to 20 minutes.

While the rolls bake, bring the water and sugar to a boil.  When the buns are done, transfer to a wire rack and brush immediately with the simple syrup.  Serve warm…or room temperature…with butter.  Makes 16 large buns.

Notes:

• If you have any candied orange peel left from the Christmas holidays, use some in these buns. I like a mix of 1/4 cup each diced candied orange peel, dried currants, golden raisins and dried cranberries.
• Recipe adapted from the Firehouse Bakery and Darina Allen.
• I have made the “liquid cross” with 100 percent all purpose flour and with half cake, half all purpose. It is much better when made with half cake flour—less stretchy and easier to pipe. Also, the all all-purpose version becomes a bit hard/crisp when baked—giving it a discernibly different texture from the bun.

Printable Version