HOT CROSS BUNS WITH DRIED APRICOT AND AN ORANGE GLAZE
In this delightful recipe, Marcy Inspired shares how to make Apricot Hot Cross Buns with a sweet Orange Glaze, a modern twist on a traditional Easter treat. Lightly sweetened and infused with warm, fragrant spices, these buns are perfect for enjoying with a cup of coffee year-round. Symbolic elements, like the cross on top representing Jesus’ crucifixion and the spices symbolizing those used in his burial, make these buns especially meaningful during Good Friday and Easter celebrations.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup of warm milk
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 2 - ¼ tsp. Dry active yeast
- 4 cups Of all purpose flour
- ½ cup Sifted (plus an additional cup for crosses)
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp. Ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp. Ground ginger
- The zest of 1 orange as well as some of the juice
- 3 ½ Tbsp. Butter room temperature
- ¼ cup Dried apricots chopped small (Raisins are most common, but you can substitute any dried fruit.)
- 1 Egg slightly beaten
Instructions
- Combine dry active yeast with sugar in small bowl. Add warm milk. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes for yeast to activate.
- Meantime, in large mixing bowl, combine sifted flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Zest the orange directly into dry ingredients, reserving a little orange zest for the glaze. Whisk dry ingredients together.
- Cut butter into dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Pour yeast and milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix. Add in the egg and continue to mix together. Knead dough with hands until you've got a sticky dough.
- Add dried fruit and continue kneading until well incorporated. Lightly flour a clean flat surface and knead dough by hand approximately 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Place dough in greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in warm place for 1-2 hours, until dough doubles in size.
- After dough has risen, punch down and knead only a couple of minutes, then divide dough into 16 equal portions. Roll into individual buns and place onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- To make crosses, place ½ cup of flour into a bowl. Add ¼ cup water and mix. Add additional water a little at a time until you have the consistency of water or paste. Place in pastry bag with a small round tip and squeeze out onto buns to create crosses on top.
- Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes.
- For glaze, place ¼ cup sugar in small bowl. Add approx. 1-2 tsp. orange zest and approx. 1 Tbsp. orange juice and a 1-2 Tbsp. water until you have the right consistency for glaze.
- Brush glaze over buns immediately after they come out of the oven. Eat them when they're warm, or toast them later and enjoy them with jam or butter.
Notes
The video and recipe were provided and produced by Marcy Inspired.
