Hot Cross Buns
It is Easter weekend. We were invited to bring Paska (Ukranian Easter Bread) or Hot Cross Buns for a coffee time after church tomorrow. I tried a GF Paska recipe last week, and though it smelled delicious (even tasted good according to my hubby) – it looked awful. It fell as it cooled, so the inside was rather gooey-looking.
I also had a Hot Cross Buns recipe to try, so this morning I made them, and put them confidently into the oven. So far, so good. But I didn’t watch them carefully enough and they got too brown. Which made them very thick-crusted. The insides looked wonderful. That was enough encouragement to try again. I knew exactly what I’d done wrong. I tried again. Success!! Here’s the Hot Cross Bun recipe I used, the way I made them. The recipe is based on one by Rebecca Reilly, author of Gluten Free Baking. I love the flour blend. The original recipe is here: http://www.livingwithout.com/recipes/gluten_free_hot_cross_buns-2000-1.html
1 cup bean flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch
2/3 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch
⅓ cup sugar
2 tablespoons rapid-rise yeast
½ cup skim milk powder
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup warm water
¼ cup light olive oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 cup raisins
Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add grated lemon zest.
In a smaller bowl, mix water, oil, eggs and vinegar, add to dry ingredients and beat for 5 minutes. Mix in raisins.
Using an ice cream/cookie scoop, scoop out dough and place on cookie sheet with a bit of space between each bun. Brush the buns with melted butter and cut an X into the top of each bun. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 20 to 30 minutes.
Place buns in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. When the buns are cool, drizzle icing over the scored X. Makes 15 buns.
Icing:
1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla
Whisk powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together until smooth. Add more milk if icing is too thick.
