Apricot-Raisins Hot Cross Buns

Yay! Finally a post after almost a month! Sorry it's taken so long for me to post anything. My family and I went on vacation down to TX to see family and friends. Needless to say I wasn't cooking while I was down there. ;)

I found this recipe in Better Home and Gardens magazine. These Hot Cross Buns are sooooo good and definitely worth the almost 3 hours it takes to make them! We had a hard time eating just one. :)

Difficulty: Hard
Ratings: *****

4 to 4 1/2c flour
1pkg yeast
1/4c warm water
1/8tsp sugar
3/4c milk
1/2c butter (1 stick)
1/3c sugar
1/2tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2c finely snipped dried apricots
1/2c raisins, coarsely chopped
1 egg white, beaten
1T water
dried apricots cut into strips (optional)

In a large mixing bowl place 2 cups of the flour; set aside. In a small bowl combine the yeast, warm water, and 1/8tsp sugar. Stir until yeast is dissolved; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the milk, butter, 1/3c sugar, and salt until warm and butter is almost melted. Add to flour mixture aloong with yeast mixture and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 mintues. Stir in apricots, raisins, and as much of the remaining flour as you can with a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft (not sticky) dough that is smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (~1 1/2 hourse). Punch down dough. Turn out onto a floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 mintues. Grease 2 baking sheets; set aside. Divide dough into 20 portions; shape each into a smooth ball. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Cover; let rise until nearly double (45-60 minutes). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make a crisscross slash across top of each bun. In a small cup combine beaten egg white and water. Brush mixture over buns. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Top with apricot strips. Serve warm. Store remaining buns in an airtight container or large ziploc bag in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To reheat, place 1 or 2 buns at a time on a microwave-safe plate and heat 15-20 seconds. Makes 20 buns.

yuuuuummyyyyy!