Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

1 cup Roberts Milk, scalded
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cakes compressed yeast
2 Roberts Eggs
1/2 cup shortening, softened
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup dried currants
4 1/2-5 cups sifted flour
1 Roberts Egg White

Preparation

Cool milk to lukewarm; add sugar and salt: crumble yeast into mixture. Combine eggs and softened shortening; blend into yeast mixture. Stir cinnamon and currants into 1 cup flour; add all the flour in 2 additions, mixing first with a spoon, then with hands. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny. Place dough in a buttered bowl, turning to butter top. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Punch down dough; divide in half and shape each half into a smooth ball. Allow to rest, covered, for 15 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2 1/2 inch round cutter; shape each circle into a ball; place on buttered baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until almost double in bulk, about 1 hour. Cut a shallow cross in each bun with a sharp knife. Brush tops with slightly beaten egg white. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Cool slightly; frost with Confectioner's Frosting forced through a pastry tube.

Yield: 3