With the excitement of both Gen and my new jobs I’ve been kind of in a mental flurry. I feel like I should be preparing for my first day next week but have no idea how to do that! I have organized my pens, gathered my schedule books, bought some new clothes and shoes, and have tried a bunch of casual work makeup looks. I’ve also signed off a stack of forms, giggled like a schoolgirl, and baked a lot of cookies. A LOT of cookies. We’ve been sending batches to Hospice Vancouver and that last batch (Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies) was perfectly timed as that very morning they received $950,000 to complete their funding drive! Now they can get on track, become fully staffed, and fill out the programs that mean so much to families like mine. Today’s cookies went to Gen’s work, as it was his last day at IGA! He starts his new supervisor position today!
An Easter favourite of mine has always been hot cross buns. I remember back when my sister was a newspaper carrier she brought home a batch of homemade hot cross buns from her supervisor’s house. They were fluffy, lightly sweet, with amazing spices. I am not in anyway a fan of currants, so the traditional buns have always fallen short on my enjoyment scale, there is only so much eating around those that you can do. Then! THEN! I few Easters ago I came across Cobbs’ chocolate chip hot cross buns and I was hooked! Add chocolate to pretty much anything and I am on board, AND they didn’t use currants! For the one Easter that I lived across from Cobbs I made a point to pick up few dozen of these amazing buns and haven’t had them since!
Well, I’ve never made hot cross buns (but I am definitely making them this week! Look out for them here on Saturday!) but have always thought about those great flavours. As I said before, I wanted to send some cookies along with Gen for his last day of work. Gen suggested something seasonal (though he kept mixing Easter seasonal flavours with those of Thanksgiving…) and I decided to muster up some Hot Cross Cookies! These are lighlty spices with some mini chocolate chips throughout. The texture is fluffy, almost bun-like. I use a light lemon glaze and a spiced icing cross to complete the look and taste! Get on these!
Hot Cross Cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 cup whipping cream (can use milk)
- 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (*optional)
Glaze
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water
Cross Icing
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp water
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy.
- Add vanilla and eggs, beat until fluffy and light.
- Add the spices, baking powder, and half the flour to the butter mixer. Beat until combined.
- Add the cream, beat until combined.
- Add the second half of the flour and the chocolate chips. Beat until combined.
- Pinch out 1-inch balls and roll until smooth. Place the balls evenly on the prepared sheets, do not press down.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until slightly firm on top and golden on the bottom.
- While cookies are baking, prepare the lemon glaze. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and brush onto the cookies when they are hot out of the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool. Prepare the cross icing by whisking together the ingredients. Spoon the icing into a small-tipped piping bag or a small ziploc (snip a tiny piece off the corner of the bag). Pipe across the top of the cooled cookies. Allow the icing to set.
Batter with cream.
Rolled little balls.
Freshly glazed, cooling down.
