Hot Cross Buns

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder

**DO NOT preheat oven yet -- these rolls have to rise before baking.**

## Ingredients for Dough:

* 1/2 cup lukewarm water
* 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
* 2 packages active dry yeast
* 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoon white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1/4 cup mashed potatoes ***(I used instant mashed)*** at room temperature
* 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 2 large eggs, slightly beaten ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* 1 cup raisins
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg ***(freshly ground is best, of course)***
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom ***(if you don't have it, substitute cinnamon)***
* 4 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* Enough softened butter to brush the tops of the rolls *after they're baked*

## Ingredients for Frosting:

* 1/4 cup ***(1/2 stick, 2 ounces)*** salted butter
* 1/4 cup milk
* 2 cups powdered ***(confections'***) sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

## Directions:

* **Spray** 2 cookie sheets or the inside of two 9-inch by 13-inch cake pans with **Pam** *or another* nonstick cooking spray.
* Place the half-cup of **lukewarm water** and the half-cup of **lukewarm milk** in the bowl.
* Add the 2 packets of **active dry yeast**.

* Add **2 teaspoons** of the **white sugar** and stir them together until everything is dissolved.
* Add the remaining half-cup of **white sugar** and stir well.
* Measure out the 3/4 cup of **mashed potatoes** and stir them in until everything is blended.

* Add the **salt** and stir that in.
* If your haven't done so already, **crack the eggs** in a glass or small bowl and whip them up a bit with a fork from your silverware drawer.
* **Add the eggs** to your bowl and stir them in.

* Sprinkle in the **raisins** and stir them in.
* Sprinkle in the **cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom** and stir until the ingredients are well combines.
* Stir in the **flour**, *one cup at a time*, making sure it's incorporated before adding the next cup.

* Give the dough a **final stir** and **turn it out** onto a **floured breadboard or onto sheets of wax paper** that you've flattened and put out on your kitchen counter.
* **Knead** the dough until it's smooth.

**Hannah's 1st Note: To knead rolls or bread dough, simply flour your hands and fold the dough in to the center. Then punch it down with your impeccably clean palms, flip it over and fold it in again. Do this until the dough is smooth and pliable.**

* **Gather** up the dough into a big ball and place it in a well-buttered bowl. *(You can also spread the inside of the bowl with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.)*
* **Cover** the bowl with a clean dishtowel and set the bowl in a draft-free place to **rise**. You will let it rise until it **doubles in size** and that will take about **one and a half hours**.
* When your dough has doubled in size, **punch it down** and **divide it in half**.
* Using your impeccably clean hands, **shape** each half into **16 buns** and place the buns on your prepared cookie sheets or in your prepared cake pans.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: Each cookie sheet or cake pan should contain 16 buns arranged about 2 inches apart.**

* Let the buns **rise until doubled** in size and then preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
* When your oven is up to temperature, **bake** your pans or cookie sheets of rolls for about **30 minutes** or until they are **golden brown** on top.
* **Cool** your buns for about 5 minutes, which will give you time to make the frosting.
* You will **frost** your Hot Cross Buns while the rolls are still warm with Simple Powdered Sugar Frosting recipe.

**Yield:** 32 Hot Cross Buns