15 recipes for Easter dinner and spring

This recipe collection from Stir It Up! has it all, whether you're preparing Easter dinner for a dozen, planning a special meal for two, or just looking for some fresh recipe ideas this season.

Hot cross buns

Tastes Like Home
Soft and sweet hot cross buns with a clear sugar glaze instead of the traditional icing cross.

By Cynthia Nelson, Tastes Like Home 
12-14 buns

1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or instant)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1-1/2 cup warm whole milk (110 – 115 degrees F)

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)

1/3 cup currants

For the glaze:

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup icing sugar

Equipment:

1 medium bowl

1 large bowl, oiled

Plastic wrap or kitchen towel

1 (13 x 9-inch) baking dish, brushed with oil

2 small bowls

1 pastry brush

1 small whisk

1 tablespoon

1 large baking tray/sheet

1 wire rack

1 flat spatula

Add sugar to bowl along with milk and stir to dissolve sugar. Toss in yeast and give a little stir (be sure to wipe off any yeast stuck on the spoon), cover and leave to proof for 10 minutes in a warm place.

Add flour to bowl along with ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt and stir to mix thoroughly; toss in raisins and mix.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yeast-milk mixture and mix to form dough. Once formed, knead the dough for 2 minutes, place in an oiled bowl, cover and put in a warm place to rise for 1 -1/2 hours or until the dough has more than doubled in size.

Punch down risen dough and knead for 2 minutes and then cut dough into equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place in oiled baking dish. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with the rack in the middle 20 minutes before the 1 hour of rising is complete.

Add 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water to small bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.

Brush risen dough with sugar-water and transfer dish to the oven. Bake for 12 minutes; brush with sugar-water and bake for another 12 minutes. Brush again with sugar-water and bake for 3 minutes.

Remove dish from oven, place on wire rack and brush a few times with sugar-water and leave to cool in the dish for 10 – 12 minutes.

Use your spatula to pry the buns from the pan and transfer to wire rack then place the wire rack on the baking sheet/tray and let buns continue to cool.

Meanwhile, add icing sugar and milk to a bowl and whisk to dissolve. Using a tablespoon, drizzle the glaze all over the buns – on the top and sides. Let buns continue to cool until you are ready to serve them.

3 of 15

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