Recipes

Hot Cross Buns & Bavarian Apple Torte, Two Favorites For The Coming Holiday

Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!

Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!

One ha’ penny, two ha’ penny,

Hot cross buns!

If you have no daughters,

Give them to your sons

One ha’ penny, Two ha’ penny,

Hot Cross Buns

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon instant powdered milk
1/4 cup white sugar
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup dried currants
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water

Glaze
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cross Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons milk

Directions
1.Put warm water, butter, skim milk powder, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, egg, egg white, flour, and yeast in a mixer, knead for 1 minute.

2.Add currants and spices. Knead for

six minutes. Allow to rise to twice it’s size. Punch down and allow to rise a second time.

3.Punch down on floured surface, cover, shape into 12 balls and place in a greased 9 x 12 inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 35-40 minutes.

5.Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water. Brush on balls.

6.Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

7.Mix glaze and brush on buns while hot.

8.To make crosses: mix together confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk. Brush an X on each cooled bun.(I don’t pipe the cross because Jesus ins’t there anymore, he rose from the grave for me.)

Apple Bavarian Torte

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

Cheese Mixture:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1/4 cup white sugar

1 cup 35% cream (whipping cream)

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apple Mixture:

6 apples – peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cream together butter, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and flour. Press crust mixture into the flat bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar. Beat in the cream, eggs and vanilla. Pour cheese mixture over crust.

Combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss the sliced apples and raisins  with the sugar mixture and spread over the cheese filling.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 65 minutes. Sprinkle almonds over top of torte. Continue baking until almonds are lightly browned and apples are tender. Refrigerate for 4 hours before removing from pan.