Hot Cross Buns - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 c. scalded milk
1/4 c. shortening
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 pkg. or 1 cake yeast
2 tsp. lukewarm water
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. seedless raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
3 1/2 to 4 c. flour, sifted
1 egg white

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400\u00b0.
Combine milk, shortening, 1/3 cup sugar and salt.
Cool to lukewarm.
Mix the 1 teaspoon sugar with the yeast that has been softened in lukewarm water and add to lukewarm milk mixture.
Add egg, raisins, cinnamon, allspice and as much sifted flour as can be stirred into the dough.
Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Knead and shape into 2-inch balls and arrange on a greased pan. Brush each bun with egg white, cover and let rise until double in bulk.
Snip in deep cross in the top of each with scissors.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from pan immediately.
Cool on wire rack. When cool, fill cross with powdered sugar frosting.
Makes 2 dozen.