Hot Crossed Buns

I always find myself feeling extremely enthused about seasonal foods such as easter eggs, pigs in blankets and Pimm's. I, therefore, could hardly contain my excitement when I realised that Easter is just around the corner by the sheer quantity of hot crossed buns filling the shelves of Tescos. In a way, hot crossed buns hold a very nostalgic and very dear place in my heart. Every sunday morning of lent my brother and I would clamber into my mother and father's bed, teddy in hand, and devour hot crossed bun after hot crossed bun, only after I had insisted that my dear mother remove every single raisin and currant. I have since grown up and learnt to deal with the raisins, but still enjoy eating hot crossed buns in bed with my teddy, which is exactly what I did this very fine morning. 

The smell of orange, cinnamon and various spices coupled with slightly singed bread fills your house with the unbeatable feeling that spring has finally arrived. However, how you choose to eat your hot crossed bun is a question that can divide a nation. I would personally always eat my hot crossed buns warm (after all, the word 'hot' is in the title), choosing to toast it, but I could understand some people perhaps choosing to heat them in the oven or under the grill. However, I once heard someone say that they heat them in the microwave, needless to say I ended that friendship quickly... But whether you enjoy your buns hot or cold, the next big question is what condiment, if any, to top with? Taking pleasure from the simple things in life, I tend to stick to butter, but I suppose marmalade or maybe even honey would also make good options. It is this versatility that makes hot crossed buns a perfect treat for anytime of the day, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. This also means that around this time of year I end up devouring them, packet after packet. Perhaps, in the words of Helen Mirren in Calendar Girls, "we're going to need considerably bigger buns".

Overall I would give hot crossed buns a rating of 4/5