The Tale of Peter Rabbit: Hot Cross Buns and Cucumber Sandwiches recipe
I’m SO excited to share with you my feast inspired by The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. I honestly wasn’t going to create anything for Easter until I remembered that the Peter Rabbit movie starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rose Byrne, James Corden, and Margot Robbie came out not long ago. I haven’t yet had the chance to watch the movie but until I do, I wanted to create a menu that was inspired by the original story.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit: Hot Cross Buns recipe
First on the list, are the currant buns from Mrs. Rabbit. While it didn’t state that she specifically had hot cross buns, that was the first item that came to mind. There also isn’t anything better than having hot cross buns on Easter. The recipe I have below is actually from Chef John’s recipes on All Recipes. It’s just a great reliable recipe but I did make a few adjustments that I found worked better for me. Another good option is from Mary Berry’s Baking book which I have mentioned my love for many times before.
Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker’s. She bought a loaf of brown bread and fve currant buns.
THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT BY BEATRIX POTTER
The Tale of Peter Rabbit: Hot Cross Buns recipe
The Tales of Peter Rabbit recipe series will continue for the rest of the week so make sure to check back tomorrow for more recipes. I had a blast creating this feast and I hope you enjoy it! Let me know in the comments how you celebrate Easter and your go-to meals and traditions for the day. I would love to know!
The Tale of Peter Rabbit: Hot Cross Buns recipe
Peter Rabbit: Hot Cross Buns and Cucumber Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 1/2 cup rum
- 3/4 cup warm milk 110F
- 3 cups bread flour or as needed
- 1 package active dry yeast .25oz
- 5 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large whole egg beaten
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Crosses
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour or as needed
Glaze
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
Soak the Raisins
- Heat the rum in a small saucepan until hot. Pour the rum over the currant and let it sit for 2 hours. Drain before using.
Dough
- Combine the milk, yeast, and 1/4 cup of the flour in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and let it sit for 10 minutes until it gets foamy. Whisk in the eggs, sugar, spices, salt, zest, and melted butter. Mix to combine.
- With a dough hook attachment, add the 3/4 of the flour. Mix on medium speed until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour is needed. Knead for 8 minutes. Add the drained currants and mix on medium speed for another 2 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and place it in a warm area for 2 hours. After 2 hours, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently flatten and divide it into 16 equal pieces. Use a food scale if that helps.
- Roll each piece into a ball and place it evenly spaced on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Cover and let it rise for 20 minutes.
Piping the Cross
- Mix together the water and flour. The mixture should be thick enough to hold it's shape and thin enough to pipe in a nice straight line. Put the mixture into a piping bag with a very small tip. Pipe the crosses onto the buns. Let it rise again in a warm area for another 20 minutes or until double in size.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Bake the buns for 15 minutes or until it's golden brown. Once done, let it cool on a rack.
Glaze
- Once the buns has cooled down, prepare the glaze by combing the sugar and water together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cook the sugar until it reaches 225F.
- Brush the glaze onto the buns and serve.
