Old Betty Crocker Hot Cross Buns well sort of
A long time ago, Loretta Barrett, the wife of one of my coworkers, gave me her favorite Hot Cross Bun recipe. This was xeroxed from an old Betty Crocker cook book with various corrections and changes in her own hand. I have made this recipe several times, doubling it often and changing the spices and method. I found the 1/4 cup mash potatoes in the recipe made this denser and moister and kept it from drying out. I used to take particular care with this part of the recipe, boiling the potatoes and smashing them with a ricer to prevent lumps and using the potato water as part of the liquid.
However yesterday when I was trying to find a web copy of this recipe to put into this entry, I found a recipe exactly like mine. It was from a very old Betty Crocker Cookbook, page 79, Holiday and Foreign Favorites chapter, but it called for 3/4 cups of mashed potatoes. I went back and looked at my xerox, and the numbers were right on the edge. The 1/4 was actually 3/4 but only part of the 3 had appeared in the xerox. So how long have I done this recipe incorrectly? Some numbers on my xerox page indicate that it was made in 2001. So for 10 long years.
Here is the original recipe
http://www.grouprecipes.com/37845/hot-cross-buns.html
I did a double batch of this recipe and had to mix it in my large mixing bowl. Here is a picture of the dough rising. The whole mixing bowl is in a large cake carrier, with water in the bottom. I found this is the best method for keeping the dough from drying out while rising and regulating the temperature. Cool water for a long rise, and warm water for a quick rise.
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b442/skeptic7_photos/P4170039.jpg
Since this was a double batch and a fairly large recipe, I made one batch into a doggie safe version by leaving out the raisins and putting in other dried fruit. In this case apricots, cranberries and dates as well as candied orange and lemon peel.
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b442/skeptic7_photos/P4170040.jpg
I did the other half with a normal fruit mixture of currants, lemon peel and orange peel
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b442/skeptic7_photos/P4170041.jpg
Another picture showing the interior.
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b442/skeptic7_photos/P4170042.jpg
This made 28 raisin Hot Cross Buns, and 24 Apricot Hot Cross buns. Some of the buns were rather small but there was 5 1/2 lbs of dough in the double batch
However yesterday when I was trying to find a web copy of this recipe to put into this entry, I found a recipe exactly like mine. It was from a very old Betty Crocker Cookbook, page 79, Holiday and Foreign Favorites chapter, but it called for 3/4 cups of mashed potatoes. I went back and looked at my xerox, and the numbers were right on the edge. The 1/4 was actually 3/4 but only part of the 3 had appeared in the xerox. So how long have I done this recipe incorrectly? Some numbers on my xerox page indicate that it was made in 2001. So for 10 long years.
Here is the original recipe
http://www.grouprecipes.com/37845/hot-cross-buns.html
I did a double batch of this recipe and had to mix it in my large mixing bowl. Here is a picture of the dough rising. The whole mixing bowl is in a large cake carrier, with water in the bottom. I found this is the best method for keeping the dough from drying out while rising and regulating the temperature. Cool water for a long rise, and warm water for a quick rise.
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b442/skeptic7_photos/P4170039.jpg
Since this was a double batch and a fairly large recipe, I made one batch into a doggie safe version by leaving out the raisins and putting in other dried fruit. In this case apricots, cranberries and dates as well as candied orange and lemon peel.
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b442/skeptic7_photos/P4170040.jpg
I did the other half with a normal fruit mixture of currants, lemon peel and orange peel
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b442/skeptic7_photos/P4170041.jpg
Another picture showing the interior.
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b442/skeptic7_photos/P4170042.jpg
This made 28 raisin Hot Cross Buns, and 24 Apricot Hot Cross buns. Some of the buns were rather small but there was 5 1/2 lbs of dough in the double batch