Easter coming up next week marks the return of the limited-run hot cross bun — but this year with a few updates and variations.
Hot cross buns are one of the seasonal breads of spring, a category that also includes the flashy King cake and the taciturn Irish soda bread. Hot cross buns are easily identified by the icing piped across their tops in the shape of a cross. That icing should ideally be made from confectioners' sugar, not Crisco, and can be subtly flavored with lemon or else just plain. The bun should be spiked with raisins and dried or candied fruit — the better quality the fruit, the better the bun. Some vendors just use raisins. Pumpkin-pie spices are welcome, especially clove and cardamom. The texture of the bun should be a bit richer than regular bread, but not too much richer; going to a full brioche dough is cheating.
In England, hot cross buns are eaten on Good Friday only. Until 2012, that was the case at Empire Baking Co., too, who sold them only on the Friday and Saturday preceding Easter. This year for the first time, Empire joined ranks with other local bakeries and has been selling them for the past two weeks.
Vendors who sell hot cross buns include Central Market, Whole Foods Markets, Sunflower Market, and Ravelin Bakery in Denton (whose excellent version won "Best Hot Cross Bun" when we compared them in 2009).
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