A Little Easter Baking

I had way too little sleep last night due to a cranky toddler who was suffering from the effects of his very first candy raid and a delayed nap (we went to a playdate that included an Easter egg hunt and cupcakes after lunch, and let's just say that many more jellybeans and chocolate ended up in my little boy's mouth than Mama wanted), and boy, did I feel it in my grumpy ol’ heart today. It was all I could do to muster some self-control and keep my big mouth shut tight to prevent all the orneriness from escaping.

This afternoon, in an effort to engage B in something fun, as well as meaningful, so I decided we would make our hot cross buns today instead of on Thursday.

Checking to make sure his hand is nowhere near the heat, just like Mommy said

Enthusiastic stirring

Look at that little hand go!

A little counting project he made up for himself while we waited for the dough to rise

Methodically combining all his goldfish into one cup

Last year was the first time I had ever made hot cross buns, but I think it's a fun treat to make during the Holy Week. It provides a simple opportunity to tell the Good Friday story in ways that a young child will understand. Little B is still too young to understand about sacrifices or death, but he does understand what gifts are. I think the little crosses on hot cross buns make them look like little presents tied up with ribbon, and that's how I will tell him the Easter story this year, that Jesus is a gift of love to us.

I don't have any raisins in the house, so we used Craisins instead.

Last year, poor Little B was oh-so-sick, and the hot cross buns were an extra-special treat for him. Here's to hoping that we all stay good and healthy this week!

Here is a little bit of hot cross bun history, as quoted in the Food Timeline:

"...the English custom of eating spiced buns on Good Friday was perhaps institutionalized in Tudor times, when a London bylaw was introduced forbidding the sale of such buns except on Good Friday, at Christmas, and at burials. The first intimation we have of a cross appearing on the bun, in remembrance of Christ's cross, comes in Poor Robin's Amanack (1733): Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs, with one or two a penny hot cross buns' (a version of the once familiar street-dry "One-a-penny, two-a penny, hot cross buns'). At this stage the cross was presumably simply incised with a knife, rather than piped on in pastry, as is the modern commercial practice. As yet, too, the name' of such buns was just cross buns: James Boswell recorded in his Life of Johnson (1791): 9 Apr. An. 1773 Being Good Friday I breakfasted with him and cross-buns.' The fact that they were generally sold hot, however, seems to have led by the early nineteenth century to the incorporation of hot into their name."

An A-Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 164)

Tonight was another eventful going-to-bed night. At first, it seemed like he was back to his regular self, singing to himself loudly, "Bazzum, bazzum boots!" (a little rhyme from Kindermusik). But then he began calling out, "Needing Daddy!" Daddy had, unfortunately, gone to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, so once I was convinced he was not going to sleep, I scrubbed the dough off my hands (yes, hot cross buns are a time-consuming process) and went in to have a chat with my little protester. 

B: "Needing see Daddy."

Mommy: "Daddy had to go to the store, buddy."

B" "Needing go store in Mommy car."

Mommy: "No, we can't go to the store right now. It's night-night time."

B: "Needing blow nose."

*blows nose in tissue*

B: "Needing wa-tee." (water)

*drinks water*

B: "Dipe-dipe wet."

Mommy: "No, your diaper isn't wet. We just put it on less than an hour ago."

B: "Needing fang on." (fan)

Aha! Opportunity for an exchange! I told him I would get the fan out and turn it on if he would lie down and go to sleep. He agreed that this was a fair exchange. He did try to re-negotiate for a song or two, but dude, that wasn't part of the deal!

It all makes me extra-thankful for the nights when he goes to bed without a peep (which is, mercifully, the norm). Live and learn. There is a good reason why we don't buy candy around here, and this is proof! 

I am off to pop those buns into the oven! Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!