Hot Cross Buns, Kitchen Nightmares, Etc.

Our Hot Cross Buns are made! And, the crosses turned out much better this year! (I used the cross instructions from this recipe on top of my own bun recipe.)

I made the buns with a friend this year and that was a good idea! It meant the buns actually got made, and it made the whole process seem much easier and faster. I made "mixed spice" from scratch but felt it was too much cinnamon and not enough other spice. I'll have to try again.

The biggest discovery of the day was that the teaspoon measurers I have been using since moving back to the USA are definately totally out of proportion!!!! We used an old plastic set to check the newer stainless steel set I use and the teaspoon was about 1 1/2 times what it should be. How does this happen??!!! I thought teaspoons were regulated and if I bought one it would be accurate. I guess that's not true.

Now I'm wondering if that's why I've had trouble with some recipes since moving to the USA. Recipes that I made over and over again in Scotland with terrific success have not been coming out so well here. It's a possibility that too much leavening is the culprit. I can't wait to buy a new set of teaspoons. I'm also wondering if Wal-mart butter is just not good quality. Of course the flour in Scotland is different, but still, I think the other things I mentioned may be more of the problem. We'll see.......

I did have better success trying a lemon loaf with Land O' Lakes butter this week, but I also used the old plastic teaspoon measure, so now there is no way to tell if it was the butter or the correct leavening. Oh well.

Tomorrow is the beginning of soccer season and an all-day bake/cook-a-thon for me. I'll have plenty of pictures for you next week. Oh, and I will let you know the winner of the flower give-away as well.