My family is not religious, however in a society that is based on Christianity, we have developed our own traditions that tie in with the major festivals (and therefore public holidays). Most of them revolve around three key elements: family, friendship and feasting. At regular intervals during the year, these religious festivals mark for us a time to reconnect with those we love and doing so invariably involves mountains of delicious food.
Ask me to think of Easter food and the first item that comes to mind is (surprisingly for a choco-holic like me) not chocolate Easter eggs, it is hot cross buns. I'm a traditionalist. Leave your chocolate chip / mocca / white chocolate and cranberry buns to someone else, for me it is fruit all the way. Although I will say I do prefer them when they are light on the mixed peel.
I like my hot cross buns warmed in the oven, then slathered with butter that melts into puddles. Nothing else, no jam or honey, just butter and a nice strong cup of tea to wash them down with.
I know that I can get hot cross buns from about the 28th of December, but I like to save them till just before Easter to preserve the specialness. I've been enjoying them for the last two weeks and they are super delicious. I come in from my morning walk, often chilled at the moment, turn on the oven and soon have pipping hot cross bun before me. As comfort food goes, this rates highly!
So tell me, what are your Easter traditions? And how do you like your hot cross bun?
I am with you whole-heartedly - chocolate hot cross buns are just wrong. Wrong! My only difference would be to say 'no peel' and not 'light on' as I can not stand the stuff. But the spices and softness of hot cross buns, they are beautiful and definitely Easter for me (we're not religious either and I could muse on the oddities of having a country celebrate holidays when most of the country may not share the religious under-pinnings, but that's a discussion for another day!).
ReplyDeleteThe peel debate has raged in our family! I think we all agree that the Woolworths brand hot cross buns have the ideal amount that even the peel haters can cope with.
DeleteYUM! I love hot cross buns, but I have to say I am not a fan of raisins etc so I love mine plain, warm and slathered in far too much butter!
ReplyDeleteMy family is not religious, but we still celebrate all the major holidays.
Cat they are the perfect vehicle for butter aren't they. Yum, yum!
DeleteI gorge myself on hot cross buns every year, and like you, have no time to the choc chip/mocha/white chocolate pretenders. I actually like them so much that I buy them in bulk and then freeze them so I can enjoy them longer than I really should.
ReplyDeleteZ, that bulk buy idea has serious merit!
DeleteHot cross buns are the best thing about Easter! They never disappoint me the way Easter eggs seem to. I know you can get chocolate chip hot cross buns, but my favourites will always be the fruit ones. I'm going up to my parents' place for the Easter weekend and I'm hoping my mum will have saved some of her handmade hot cross buns for me...
ReplyDeleteYum Katie! What a treat. Making my own hot cross buns is on my list of things to do when I'm not quite so busy.
DeleteOh yes I like the traditional spiced fruity hot cross buns. I bought choc chip ones today because the others were sold out and I have to say it did not satisfy me in the same way, sigh.
ReplyDeleteOurs is driving out somewhere in the country for a long, long lunch on Easter Sunday. I think we're going less far afield this time; only to Grazing at Gundaroo. In truth, I've never received much chocolate at Easter, and have never been interested in Hot Cross Buns. Nasty squidgy raisins and icky peel! :P Easter is family and feasting to me too :)
ReplyDeletewe like our buns the same :) although I did try mine with a tad smudge of marmalade this year. delicious too. but butter wins!
ReplyDeleteHeidi xo