Have you ever been to The Kitchn? If you haven’t we highly recommend a visit. It is a cheery, inspiring and thoughtfully put together network under Apartment Therapy. The Kitchn is hosting The Homies, a competition for best home and food blogs. MyFudo is honored to have been nominated in the following category: Best Recipe Blog. It is exhilarating to be included among so many distinguished blogs. We would love if you could take the time to vote for us.

Here’s how to vote:

1. Register at The Kitchn: This is fast and easy. We would not ask you to do anything that took too much of your time and we do think The Kitchn is such a wonderful blog that you will be glad you registered. You, too, will be inspired.

2. You might have to log in again to vote.

3. Vote for myFudo in the Best Recipe category by clicking here. The blogs are listed by number of votes, not alphabetically.

4. The nominations are open to voting until this Friday at which point they will announce the top six in each category. From March 2nd to March 9th voting continues for the top nominees and the winners will be announced Friday March 9th.

We would like to thank Christy at Confessions of a Culinary Diva for nominating us. We are just thrilled by this nomination and are so grateful to Christy for thinking of us. Please visit her blog. You will find it a wonderfully pleasing place with fabulous posts and recipes to enjoy.

Of course we have a recipe for you, too! We wouldn’t just ask you to vote without offering you a recipe. Truthfully, we’d love to share some hot cross buns with you over a nice hot cup of coffee, but we are sure you will do the same with your family and friends. They are too good to not share!

Traditionally these buns are served on Good Friday. But, there are a lot of people who shy away from yeasted breads. So we thought we’d offer you this recipe early so that you might practice. Frankly, we make these all year long as they are just a fantastic breakfast treat.

Hot Cross Buns adapted from (Emeril Lagasse)
Ingredients

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, divided
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
3 large eggs, divided
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup raisins
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, for greasing a large bowl
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat 3/4 cup milk until lukewarm.

2. Stir the yeast and the granulated sugar into the warm milk. Allow the mixture to stand 10 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy.

3. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, nutmeg, salt and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low to combine.

4. Pour the milk and yeast mixture into the flour mixture, and beat on low to combine. With the mixer running, add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing just until the yolks disappear. Add the softened butter and raisins and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.

5. Place the dough in a lightly greased large bowl, turning the dough once to coat it with the oil from the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

6. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees F.

7. When the dough has risen, punch it down once and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form each piece into a round ball. Place each dough ball evenly spaced onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

8. Whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, paint the tops of each roll with the egg mixture, reserving the remaining egg wash.

9. Place a clean kitchen towel over the tops of the rolls and put in a warm place to rise, about 30 minutes.

10. Remove the kitchen towel and brush the tops of the rolls again with the reserved egg wash mixture. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

11. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Allow rolls to cool completely.

12. Combine the powdered sugar and remaining tablespoon of milk. Place the sugar glaze in a pastry bag with a small tip.

13. When the rolls have cooled, pipe a cross over the tops of each roll using the sugar glaze.