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Here's everything you need for these overnight maple hot cross buns. This recipe requires an hour of prep time and 25 minutes of cooking time and makes 12 buns.

Ingredients to Gather

For the Dough
3/4 cup 2% milk
4 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup maple sugar (or raw cane sugar)
1/2 cup canola oil
3 3/4 cups organic all-purpose flour
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup diced citrus peel

For the Glaze
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Icing
3 tablespoons maple butter
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions to Follow

For the dough
Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat until it reaches around 115F. Combine this with the other ingredients – except the citrus peel – in a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Mix on low speed until the ingredients come together, then increase the speed by one level and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. It will be very sticky.
Toward the end of the kneading, add the citrus peel and knead for another 30 seconds. Remove the dough hook, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature in a warm place, about an hour. Grease a 13×9-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 12 evenly-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place the rolled buns on the prepared pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the buns rise for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Uncover the buns and bake for 25-30 minutes, until they are a rich brown on top. While still hot from the oven, prepare the glaze.

For the Glaze
Bring the maple syrup, water, and vanilla up to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Brush this syrup over the still-hot buns, until it has all been absorbed. Let the buns cool completely on the pan on a cooling rack.

Now, all that's left is the icing. To make it, combine the maple butter and powdered sugar and stir. Once it's blended together and the icing is stiff, scrape the icing off into a small piping bag that has a small plain tip. Use it pipe icing crosses on each bun and serve immediately or save for later.

Wow! Don't these hot cross buns sound delicious? They're a traditional Easter treat, but you don't have to wait for a holiday to enjoy them. In fact, we think they make a great dessert or snack all year long. Yum!

Article Source: Simple Bites