So, the day has finally arrived. I get to make my hot-cross buns. I'm a tad disorganized this year. Yesterday I made up my shopping list and worked out what I needed.

Apparently I'm meant to use:

upwards of 2kg flour

200g butter

5 eggs

600g dried fruit

250g mixed peel 

plus a whole heap of other stuff like hot tea, stout, sugar and yeast.

I didn't have flour - not a big deal. Well it is and it isn't. I wanted bread specific flour, but without shitloads of additives. Should have thought about it earlier and visited an eco shop, additive flour it is.

Mixed peel - oh this is always a problem. Last year I found somewhere that had it (gardening store. I kid you not). My local supermarket had crystallized orange peel, and crystallized lemon peel this year.  But they are big strips and I didn't feel like having to buy so much and then have to chop it all finely. So I went off on my trusty bike to the garden shop this morning. Guess what they had run out of? Yup. So I got myself some crystallized Macedonian fruit instead. At least the one in the garden store contained orange peel, unlike in the supermarket where it was papaya. I guess this year I'll be using my trusty zester again for mixed peel because I don't have enough otherwise. Just as well we have oranges and lemons in the house

raisins - yay my local supermarket finally has dark raisins. Happy happy happy me. I got myself a few bags so I don't run out (because packaging them in kg amounts or something can't happen here... *sigh*)

Stout - I'm meant to use Mackeson, locally I can't get that. I got Guinness instead, but apparently the wrong one. Next year I'll have to go to the proper beer shop and see if I can get some Mackeson (unless stout hot cross buns get banned from this house forever). 

And now I need to get to washing my dishes, scrubbing my floors and organizing everything (because I still haven't quite got my timing worked out). The best thing about today is we have leftovers from yesterday so no making dinner tonight!

Last night I kindly informed my better half that I wasn't going to sleep tonight. his response " but, but, but...". me: "this is how I show you how much I love you, by staying up all night to ensure you can have freshly baked hot cross buns before you leave for work. I'll even make you coffee"  <- I'm not sure he sees it like this, but it is meant to be taken that way  

I sure hope extended family will be happy to take some off my hands on Friday/Saturday. It will give me the chance to get some lamb and peas from the freezer for my lamb and pea pie planned for Easter Sunday. mmm pie.

And let the craziness begin