Christmas Hot Cross Buns

These delicately spiced Christmas hot cross buns are similar to the Easter ones, expect these are loaded with glacé mixed fruit and cherries in them. A wonderful treat for Christmas!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine North American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 14

Resting Time 2

Servings servings

Calories 269kcal

Author Nina

Ingredients

Buns

1 teaspoon yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk warm
5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
2 large eggs room temperature
3-4½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspooon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup glacé mixed fruit
¼ cup red and green glacé cherries quartered

Cross

¼ cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons water

Glaze

2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Buns

In a bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the dough hook attachment, add yeast, sugar and milk. Mix together and then add in butter and eggs.
Add 3 cups of flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and spice. Knead together until the dough comes together and just cleans the bowl, adding the remaining flour a bit at a time if needed.
Add in glacé mixed fruit and cherries until well mixed in.
Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm environment until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Cover 2 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 12 buns. Place buns on the prepared baking trays. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes.

Cross

In a small bowl, mix flour and water together to make a loose paste. Fill the paste into a piping bag and cut a small hole off the bottom. Pipe crosses onto the risen buns before they go into the oven.
Bake buns for 12 - 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Glaze

In a small bowl, mix the milk and sugar together.
Brush the glaze over the tops of each bun right after they come out of the oven.
Hot cross buns are best the day they are made, but will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave.

Video

Notes

Salted butter can be substituted for unsalted. Add only ½ teaspoon of salt, not the full 1 teaspoon amount.
I used glacé mixed fruit and red and green cherries. If you don't like glacé fruit, you can substitute with dried cherries and pistachios. Or add raisins like the classic hot cross buns have in them.
If you prefer to make the crosses with royal icing, do not pipe the crosses on before baking the buns. Bake them and then once cooled, pipe the crosses on. Let the royal icing dry before brushing the glaze on top.

Nutrition