Traditional hot cross buns from Baker Tom’s in the U.K. Easter is the bakery’s second-busiest holiday after Christmas, and special orders for the buns start coming in weeks in advance.
Courtesy of Baker Tom’s
If you’re looking for a sweet Easter treat, there’s plenty to choose from: chocolate rabbits, jelly beans, intricate sugar eggs, and — of course — the ubiquitous peeps. But there’s one slightly more refined treat that many in the United States are familiar with mostly from the song.
“One-a-penny, two-a-penny, hot cross buns” — made from spices, dried fruit, and a lightly sweetened, eggy dough — have been the Good Friday bread of choice in England since the 1500s. Yet the tradition of eating a special, rounded cake during spring festivals is actually much older, dating back to ancient Greece, writes John Ayto in An A…