SPELT HOT CROSS BUNS!!!

Spelt Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of milk (rice, soy, hemp, almond, cow, goat, etc.)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (of your choice)
1/4 cup cane sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups white spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 1/4 cups currants or raisins pre-soaked in hot water for 5 minutes before adding to mixer - 1/2 added before mixing, the other 1/2 added half way through

Apricot jelly or jam to cover

Method: Use kitchen aid mixer.

Place ingredients in mixer in order listed - except for 1/2 the dried fruit and the apricot jelly or jam.

Mix on low speed (#2 on kitchen aid) for 5 minutes, add remainder of raisins, then mix on next speed up (#4 on kitchen aid) for 5 minutes. The dough should be well mixed and away from the sides of the bowl.

Remove the hook and let rest in the mixer bowl for 15 minutes, then take it out onto a lightly floured counter top and divide into 12 even balls.

Place balls on a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it, lightly brush with oil and cover with saran wrap to maintain moistness during proofing.

Proof for 1 1/2 hours.


Before baking, draw the cross on top of the buns:

Cross ingredients:
3 tablespoon of white spelt flour
2 tablespoon of cold water.
Mix well together into a paste with no lumps.

Put it in a pastry bag with a little hole and draw cross on the top of the buns, be careful not to flatten the dough on top; be gentle.

Then bake on middle rack in pre-heated oven at 350∘for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile lightly heat up apricot jelly or jam with a bit of hot water on low heat, for glaze on hot cross buns. After the buns are baked, brush each bun with glaze and let sit for 10 minutes.
Happy Easter!!

Granddaughter...

I just had a whirlwind trip down to Northern California to visit my beautiful granddaughter, my son and daughter-in-law. Christine came up with an idea for a great gift for Lilja that was just perfect - A little baking kit with a mini muffin tin, tiny tulip cups for muffins like we used to have at the bakery and cookie cutters, mini cupcake papers and a little tool kit with rolling pin, whisk, wooden spoon and spatula.

On Thursday morning we left and drove to Portland, Friday morning we got up and drove to Fortuna in Northern California driving through incredible Vancouver like rain. Driving past the big trucks is always hard in the rain, but on the I5 were these massive three trailer long trucks. Passing one of those in a torrential downpour certainly takes some skill and effort. They spew alot of water out their sides and visibility becomes incredibly difficult. Then we arrived there and had dinner and time to open the gifts. She was so excited every time she pulled something out of the bag, she would open her eyes wide and make a noise of delight and her Mama, Britta said that she loved to help cook and bake. Christine, back in Vancouver was on skype and Lilja sat in her booster chair so that Christine could watch and see the whole thing on computer. She was so happy and excited. How lucky we are to hold such delight in small things.

The next day was time to bake with Nan (That's me) and Lilja and I made some little tiny blueberry muffins for everyone to share for breakfast. Lilja has to be the best two year old egg whisker I have ever met. There were adults who worked at the bakery who couldn't whisk an egg as well as Lilja. Britta told me that she loves whisking eggs and now she has the perfect size whisk and bowl just for her. I was impressed and she even helped me fold the dry mix into the wet and then add blueberries. We put them in the little cups and then into the oven.

Out they came and Lilja still in her pajamas sat down in her chair for breakfast. I have to say the highlight of my trip was making muffins with my granddaughter and it was well worth the 2 day drive and 2 days back with only 2 days to visit. Next time I will aim for a little more time down there. In the meantime we will continue to skype and hopefully they will come here soon.