Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns

Buns

eggs

1/2

cup butter or margarine, softened

cups Gold Medal™ Better for Bread™ flour

3/4

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4

teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2

teaspoons salt

tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2

teaspoons bread machine or quick active dry yeast

1/2

cup dark raisins

1/2

cup golden raisins

egg

tablespoons cold water

cup powdered sugar

tablespoon milk or water

1/2

teaspoon vanilla, if desired

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1

Break 2 eggs into 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough water to measure 1 1/3 cups. Measure carefully, placing egg mixture and remaining bun ingredients except raisins, 1 egg and cold water in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Add raisins at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends.
2

Select Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use delay cycle. (Total time will vary with appliance and setting.)
3

Remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands. Cover and let rest 10 minutes on lightly floured surface.
4

Grease cookie sheet or two 9-inch round cake pans. Divide dough in half. Divide each half into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet or 1 inch apart in pans. Snip a cross shape in top of each ball, using scissors. Cover and let rise in warm place about 40 minutes or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
5

Heat oven to 375°F. Beat egg and cold water slightly; brush over tops of buns. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet or pans to cooling rack. Cool slightly.
6

In medium bowl, mix all icing ingredients until well blended. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Make a cross on top of each bun with icing. Serve warm.

Hot cross buns were traditionally served on Good Friday because of the cross on top. Today, they are available in bakeries and supermarkets weeks before Good Friday because so many of us love these sweet, spicy rolls.
You can make these rolls ahead. After you have shaped the dough into buns and snipped the cross in top of each, cover with plastic wrap. You can refrigerate them from 4 hours up to 24 hours. Before baking, remove the buns from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Cover with kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place about 2 hours or until double. Then brush the tops and bake as the recipe tells you above.
If your bread machine doesn't have a Raisin/Nut signal, add the raisins 5 to 10 minutes before the last kneading cycle ends. Check your bread machine's use-and-care book to find out how long the last cycle runs.
Traditionally hot cross buns contain raisins or currants. You may substitute the dark or golden raisins in this recipe with equal amounts of the more traditional currants or try chopped candied fruit.
We like to use only butter to make these rich-tasting buns.

2 Starch; 1 Fruit; 1 Fat;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.