Hot cross buns are rolls made of butter, sugar, flour, eggs and yeast, studded with raisins or candied fruit. That's the simple description. And, of course, there is a more complicated one.
Hot cross buns have always been tied to spring, but not necessarily to the story of Easter and the resurrection. Now associated with the Christian cross, the cross carved into the dough originated as a pagan symbol.
The Celtic people of what is now Great Britain used the cross to represent the moon, the heavenly body associated with the goddess of spring, Eostre, and its four quarters.
When Christians attempted to convert the pagans, they tried to outlaw the buns. The sweet roll proved too strong of an adversary and the citizenry would not give them up.
Undeterred, the church and Queen Elizabeth I ruled that buns with their crosses could only be eaten at Christian ceremonies such as Easter, Christmas and funerals. (No talk of hot cross wedding buns.)
Today, hot cross buns are a staple at Easter, appearing in grocery stores and bakeries a few weeks before the holiday and disappearing almost immediately after. The cross that was once carved into the dough is more commonly a sugary icing, sometimes lemon-flavored.
Answer a few questions - where are you going, who's coming, how much time do you have and can you cook? - and voila! A cheese snack suggestion.
We answered an outdoor concert, the boyfriend, a half-hour and no, respectively, and up popped Cheddar and Tomato Jam Canapes made of diced tomatoes, cider, ginger, cinnamon and extra sharp Cheddar served on multigrain crackers.
This is a great place to nose around for recipes and food and wine pairings.
kitchen tip
Rinsing and reusing resealable plastic bags is easy. It's the in-between step of drying them that's tiresome. Try standing several chopsticks in a tall glass jar; then invert each bag onto two or three chopsticks and set aside to drip-dry.
selecting ham
For special occasions, go for the ham with a bone. Such hams taste better than pressed and re-formed hams. Whole hams can be hefty, up to 18 pounds, but some of that weight is bone, so figure about 10 ounces per person. Half-hams, either the shank or butt end, range in size from 5 to 8 pounds, perfect for a smaller crowd. The rounded butt may look meatier than the shank, but it contains a large bone, which makes it slightly more difficult to carve. The shank is less expensive, and has a bit more bone to meat than the butt (a boon if you like bones for soup), but has delicious meat. Look for hams with most of the skin intact and with a nice cap of fat for scoring and glazing.
pet peeps
Peeps, those sugary little marshmallow treats that come in all kinds of holiday shapes - chicks for Easter, bats for Halloween and stars for Fourth of July - are back on store shelves in full force. But if you tire of eating them, try making a Peeps project instead. A pastel sombrero and picture frame are among the creations you'll find at www.marshmallowpeeps.com
ciao chocolate
Large, hollow chocolate eggs in festive, tall wrapping are fancy enough for a grownup Easter basket. These Italian eggs from Bellino come in three sizes - this is the medium - and cost from about $5 to $15. Look for them at Italian markets such as Castellano & Pizzo in Tampa (4200 S Henderson Blvd.; (813) 289-5275) or Mazzaro's Italian Market in St. Petersburg (2909 22nd Ave. N; (727) 321-2400).
Spice Girls and Boys
Here's your chance to have your name on grocery shelves across America. McCormick & Co. again is offering fame as well as riches to the winner of its Blend to Win Challenge. The prize for coming up with the best original blend of McCormick herbs and spices is $10,000. A limited quantity of the winning recipe will be produced and sold.
All entries must be postmarked by May 28. To receive contest rules and an entry form, visit www.mccormick.com or call toll-free 1-800-632-5847.
Compiled by Janet K. Keeler from staff and wire reports
