Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ | | Hot Cross Buns,
Hot Cross Buns! | With Easter just a hop, skip and a fortnight away we’re taking a stroll through the delicious history of Hot Cross Buns and exploring the many ways you can enjoy them at our Piccadilly store this spring. So pop the kettle on, open the biscuit tin and settle in for a delicious read with Fortnum’s.
A lot may have changed since the first Hot Cross Buns appeared in Britain in 1733 but our national fixation with these perfectly spiced fruit-laden delights is stronger than ever; indeed, few would consider spring to have truly sprung until they’ve enjoyed the first bun of the season. In the past Hot Cross Buns were baked, sold and eaten on Good Friday itself and Chelsea considered the unequivocal hot-cross-hot-spot in London as bakers here made such a celebration of the bun’s arrival. Thousands of children were hired for the day to go out into the streets with a baker’s tray to sell the buns straight from the oven and their vendor's street cries could be heard all over London, the most famous of which was immortalised Georgian nursery rhyme, ‘Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns'.
| | | | 3 Reasons to Love Fortnum's Hot Cross Buns | | 01. | Over a third of each of our Hot Cross Bun is made up of different dried fruits, making them considerably more substantial than the average bun. | | 02. | All of our Hot Cross Buns are handcrafted in England according to traditional methods. | | 03. | In the run up to Easter, our chefs bake batches of Hot Cross Buns each morning ready to be sold at our Bakery that day. Get them while they’re hot! | | | | |  | Very Superstitious | There are many traditions associated with Hot Cross Buns and ancient rumours of their magical properties still linger today. In the countryside families would hang a Hot Cross Bun above the door on Good Friday and it would remain there all year to fend off evil from the home. The bun was also said to protect the home from fire and ensure that all the bread came out perfectly in the coming year, which we must admit is rather impressive for one little baked good. | | | | | | Hot Cross Hacks | SMOOTH OPERATOR
Using buttermilk instead of ordinary milk will give the buns an unbelievably silky smooth texture and secure your title as the best-bun-baker for miles around.
ONE FINE DAY
If schedules - and self-restraint - allow, try leaving the dough to prove overnight and bake the next day... The dough will be infused with all the delicious fruits and spices in the morning!
FREEZE!
Hot Cross Buns freeze brilliantly, both before and after baking. Dough will keep for around a month if tightly wrapped and baked buns can be wrapped and frozen as soon as they are cool. | | | | Serving Suggestions |  | A generous layer of Fortnum's smooth and zesty Lemon Curd on a toasted Hot Cross Bun is so delicious, you may never have them another way again. And for a little extra indulgence, spread some butter first. | | | | |  | Fortnum's Potted Welsh Rarebit makes an unbelievably delicious counterpart to the sweet spices and plump fruit of Hot Cross Buns. Spread liberally, toast beneath the grill until the cheese is bubbling golden, and enjoy! | | | | | | | Aprons At The Ready! | Have a go at home with this tried and tested Fortnum’s recipe. If you have any little helpers, kneading and rolling the dough into bun shapes is a particularly enjoyable Easter activity. | | |  | | | |  | Buns In The Oven | Mark your diaries... Chef Roger’s Hot Cross Buns will be available at our LG Bakery from March 25th! | | | | | | | | Our brand-new 3rd floor is open and ready for you to join us for specially curated events, from the best and the brightest in the world of food & drink! | | | | | | In The Studio With... | SEASONAL SUNDAYS WITH KATHY SLACK
Cook, author and veg grower Kathy Slack invites you to wander through Fortnum's an hour before it opens to pick up her favourite seasonal items, before heading to the Food & Drink Studio to discover what can be made with them. | | | | |  | | | |  | Supper Club | TARA WIGLEY: THE FOOD BEHIND THE PAGES SUPPER CLUB
Fortnum & Mason is hugely excited to welcome Tara Wigley as the guest chef for the next Food Behind the Pages Supper Club, hosted by Felicity Cloake. Tara and Felicity will be discussing Tara’s fun and entertaining new book How to Butter Toast. | | | | | | | |  | #Fortnums is Made for Sharing Every day is a delicious adventure with Fortnum's.
Follow our journey and share your own. |  | | |   |
