Hot Cross Buns
1 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cake compressed yeast
1 egg, well beaten
About 4 cups sifted flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup currants
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Icing
Pour the scalded milk over the butter, sugar and salt; cool to lukewarm. Add
the crumbled yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. Add the egg, flour and
cinnamon to make a soft dough. Fold in the currants. Let rise in a warm
place (80 to 85F.) until double in bulk − about 2 hours. Shape into large
buns and place and inch apart on a buttered baking sheet. Let rise in a warm
place until double in bulk − about 1 hour. Brush tops of buns with 1 egg
slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water. Bake in a preheated oven for 20
minutes at 400F. When cool decorate top of each bun with a cross, using the
following icing:
Place 1/2 egg white in a small mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, beat in as
much powdered sugar as the egg white will absorb and add 1 teaspoon of lemon
juice gradually as the mixture thickens. Spread at once as mixture hardens
quickly. Makes 24 buns.