Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!
One a penny two a penny
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters, give them to your sons
One a penny two a penny
Hot cross buns!
I think that every parent has heard this song over and over again. I know that I have heard it played many times on my boys recorders. I know that it is also favored by beginning bands as well.
The song is actually about this little bun in the picture below. Thank you to my favorite bakery, Mayfield for providing these most picturesque buns for my picture!
So, here is the history of these little gems!
You can find them in the grocery stores in England all year long, but traditional bakeries start carrying them in their shops Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) until Easter and they are traditionally eaten through Lent. It’s very popular to eat them for breakfast Good Friday.
So, what are they? They are a spiced, slightly sweet bun containing fruit. Common fruits are raisins, currents, dates, cranberry, chocolate, orange, apple, cinnamon, toffee and lemon poppy seed. They are traditionally eaten toasted during Lent for breakfast.
It is not really known when and where Hot Cross Buns were first created. In 1506, during Elizabethan England, there was a decree forbidding the making, sale of or eating of them except during Christmas, Easter and when someone died.
Originally, they were eaten by the Saxons to honor the goddess Eostre. It was believed that the bun represented the moon and the cross the moon’s quarters. They are also said to be full of Christian symbolism. The bread stands for the communion, the cross on top is a symbol of the crucifixion and the spices in the bun is to symbolize the spices Jesus was wrapped in while buried in the tomb.
It is said that buns baked on Good Friday will never spoil or mold during the rest of the year. If you really want something strange, read this story about this bun that is 192 years old!
Sharing a bun is suppose to be good luck.
"Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be”
They were also suppose to be good luck if taken on ship going to sea. If they are hung in the house, it was done to ensure that all breads turn out perfectly and the bun is suppose to protect the home against fire. There is even a superstition that if a piece is given to someone that is ill they will recover.
The buns that are shown in the picture above have lines that are piped on the top. The lines are piped pastry made out of flour and water. Originally, the cross was cut into the bun. They are then glazed with a sweet mixture that gives the bun it’s lovely glow.
We did not follow tradition and eat them on Good Friday morning, but we will have some with our Easter dinner on Sunday.
If you are interested in trying your own, I recommend this recipe.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2066661/hot-cross-buns
We did not follow tradition and eat them on Good Friday morning, but we will have some with our Easter dinner on Sunday.
If you are interested in trying your own, I recommend this recipe.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2066661/hot-cross-buns
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