Every year around this time I have two distinct thoughts. ย Thought number one goes something like this: ย ‘Oh great! ย It’s Easter season! ย Time to get my hands on some Hot Cross Buns!’. ย Thought number two quickly follows thought number one and sounds something like this: ย ‘There’s no way I’m making Hot Cross Buns from scratch, I don’t care how many people call me an Easter Scrooge… what else can I hot cross?’.
Last year I made Hot Cross Biscuits. ย They’re almost shaped like buns, and they’re buttery tenderness totally excuses the fact that biscuits aren’t buns.
This year we’re getting awayย with Hot Cross Pancakes. ย It’s Lent you can eat, breakfast-in-bed-style. ย Is that how you’re supposed to celebrate Lent… in bed? ย Probably not, and yet I’ve still hot crossed my pancakes and doused them in too much syrup.
A more clever woman would insert some sort of Pope joke here but I’ll just stop while I’m ahead.
Let’s pancake.
This recipe begins with my favorite buttermilk pancake base. ย The batter is thick and the pancakes are durable enough to flip, but they’re wonderfully light and tender. ย Are they the perfect pancake? ย Maybe, just maybe they are.
To our classic pancake we’ll add cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, along with currants and citrus zest. ย Big full flavors for breakfast!
I forgot melted butter! ย Melted butter goes in everything.
In this case, melted butter is whisked with egg and buttermilk. ย Good goes great!
Thick batter meets extra flavor.
I really do love this pancake batter.
This is where things get hot crossed. ย Cream cheese plus powdered sugar plus heavy cream.
I threw this thick cream cheese topping in a pastry bag with a medium tip. ย Then I fried up some pancakes.
Golden pancakes: ย hot and crossed.
Everything would be fine and good just as it is… but of course fine and good is never enough. ย Let’s add syrup!
A pool of pure maple. ย Totally normal!
Oh! ย Ps. ย I visited a maple syrup farm in Vermont last weekend! ย I have a lot to share. ย There’s maple in our future.
These pancakes have all the flavor of warm Easter breads but in pancake form. ย Sometimes laziness spawns creativity (and breakfast in bed).
Hot Cross Pancakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup dried currants
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
butter and oil for cooking
pure maple syrup for serving
For Cream Cheese Cross:
4 ounces (1/2 cup) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
In a small bowl whisk together butter, buttermilk, egg, ย and vanilla extract. ย Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. ย Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. ย Stir to combine. ย It’s ok if the mixture is a bit lumpy. ย Add the currants and fruit zest and stir to combine. ย Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes while the griddle heats.
Preheat oven to 150 degrees F. ย Place a oven-proof plate in the oven. ย This is where the pancakes will stay warm while the entire batch is cooked.
Heat a griddle (or nonstick skillet) over medium heat. ย Add about a teaspoon of butter and a splash of vegetable oil. ย Heat until fat is hot. ย Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. ย Fry until golden brown on each side, flipping once. ย Place cooked pancakes on the warm plate in the oven and cover with a clean towel. ย Place a bit more oil or butter in the pan after each batch of pancakes are cooked.
To make the cream cheese mixture, stir together the three ingredients in a small bowl. ย Place in a pastry bag with a medium round tip. ย If you don’t have a pastry bag, a ziplock freezer bag with the corner tip cut off is a good substitute.
Top stack of pancakes with cream cheese cross. ย Serve warm with maple syrup. ย
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