Hot Cross Buns

A tradition for Ostara.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/4 cups (or more) flour
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan on low heat until warm.
2. Stir the yeast into the water and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Mix the warm milk, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs together in a bowl and beat on medium for 1 minute.
4. Add the yeast mixture and beat for 30 more seconds.
5. Beat in 1 1/2 cups of flour and the spices, then cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
6. Add the rest of the flour and knead it in. If it's still not handleable, you may have to add up to almost a cup more flour.
7. Flour it until you can knead it and then do so, finally working in the raisins. Punch it down to 1/2 inch thickness and cut in 2 1/2-inch rounds.
8. Let them rise on a buttered sheet for 1 hour.
9. Snip in crosses with kitchen scissors and bake for 15 minutes at 375 F.
10. Cool on a wire rack. When cool, pipe on frosting if desired.