When you’re done with the egg hunt, the Easter bonnet has been pulled off and tossed aside, when churching and snapping pictures are past, and you’re ready for a buttery breakfast roll or something sweet next to your slice of ham, make these. They are a bit on the time intensive side, but nearly all of the labor is done a day in advance, so that all you need to do on Easter morning is roll the buns and bake them. 
These hot cross buns look a bit more like mini baps than conventional buns, but they are sweet and buttery, with a little pop from the boozy, plump currants and a sweet crisscross of rum and orange liqueur-laced icing. Smear them with a little dark rum brown sugar butter.
Boozy Hot Cross Buns with Rum Brown Sugar Butter
Yield: a dozen buns
Ingredients:
3 T. orange juice
1 ½ T. orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
½ c. dark rum
¾ c. currants (or raisins if you can’t find them)
…
2 packages (5 ½ t.) active dry yeast
¾ c. whole milk, warmed until it is tepid
1 ½ c. all purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur.)
1/3 c. sugar
½ t. ground ginger
½ t. ground cinnamon
½ t. freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs
2 T. of the fruit soaking liquid (rum, orange liqueur, and orange juice)
1 T. vanilla extract
very finely grated zest of one orange
½ t. salt
1 ½ c. bread flour
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
…
½ c. confectioners’ sugar
1 T. orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1 T. dark rum
…
¼ c. dark rum
6 T. butter
¼ c. brown sugar
Method:
One day Ahead:
- In a small pan, or in the microwave, warm the orange juice, orange liqueur, dark rum, and currants. When the liquid comes to a simmer, turn off the heat and allow the currants to soak and plump until they are needed in the recipe. The currants will absorb nearly all of the liquid.
- In a small pan, or in the microwave, warm the milk until it is just above body temperature.
- Add the yeast and stir briefly. Set the yeast and milk aside and allow it to bloom. It will be foamy in appearance if the yeast has activated properly.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the all purpose flour, sugar, and spices.
- Add the milk and yeast and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the dough into a ball and cover the bowl. Place it in a warm place to rise until it is doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
- Mix in the eggs, fruit soaking liquid, and vanilla.
- Mix in the bread flour and salt on low speed.
- Knead the dough until it is silky smooth, about 10 minutes, either by hand or with the dough hook of an electric mixer.
- Add the butter and knead until it is fully incorporated. Be patient, it will all be incorporated with time.
- Drain any remaining liquid from the currants over a small bowl, reserving the liquid if you wish, and knead them into the dough.
- Place the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until nearly doubled in size, about one hour.
- Cover the bowl with cellophane and chill it in the refrigerator overnight, or for a minimum of 30 minutes. I find it’s easiest to chill the dough overnight and to bake the buns the next morning.
- You may make the rum brown sugar butter one and the icing one day ahead, as well, if you wish. See below.
On the Day:
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and shape the dough into 12 balls. Place them on a buttered baking sheet, spaced evenly.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cover the sheet of buns and place it in a warm place. Allow the the buns to rise until not quite doubled in size, about one hour.
- Bake the buns for 12 to 16 minutes, or until they are golden brown and sound a bit hollow when tapped.
- Allow them to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, mix the confectioners’ sugar, the orange liqueur, and the rum until it is a smooth icing.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the dark rum. Simmer until it is reduced and syrupy.
- Refrigerate the rum brown sugar butter until serving time.
- When the buns are cool, pipe two crisscrossing stripes of icing across the top of each bun. (In a pinch, they can be drizzled with the icing while still warm.) Serve with the rum brown sugar butter.
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Mnmnmnm they look so buttery and delicious! Fond Easter memories.
You know, I’ve never had a hot cross bun, even though it was one of the first songs I learned how to play on the piano. These look delicious and I might have to have my first soon!
It also reminds me I should really figure out where to find some currants soon.
Oooh la la – these look amazing.
You and I must be simpatico since I have been enjoying baking with adult beverages lately.
Did you use dried or fresh currants? If fresh, do you think dried would work well instead?
I used dried. Coincidentally, I’ve just spent nearly an hour on the phone to every produce purveyor in Minneapolis looking for fresh currants. No luck. Now I’m dreaming of planting a white currant bush this spring. And speaking of boozy recipes, I made champagne jelly this morning. Post this afternoon as soon as I pop it out of its mold… Your Hair of the Dog Pound Cake looks amazing, by the way.
Joyce, you are in for a treat. Mine aren’t really a traditional hot cross bun. I would use a milk bread recipe if you want something closer to what you’d find in England, which is what I’ve done in the past sometimes. I made an enriched dough loaded with butter and sweetened with sugar for this version. You might also cut the liquid to sugar ratio in the icing to make a more traditional thick stripe of frosting. I like the drizzly icing above for its punch of flavor and because it doesn’t add that sticky frosting thing. Soaking the dried fruit really makes them sing, but that isn’t traditional either. You could use juice in place of the rum and liqueur if you want. Whichever recipe you choose, Mmmmm, they’re good.