that’s as unique as it is

Hot cross buns are an Easter specialty with a light, enriched crumb that’s studded with currants and flavored with a gentle mix of warm spices and a hint of citrus. While some versions are drizzled with icing, we prefer a traditional semi-sweet, flour-based “cross” etched across the top.This recipe from our book “

” mostly sticks to tradition but amps up the flavor. We enrich the dough with tangy buttermilk instead of regular milk, along with orange zest and a little Lyle’s Golden Syrup for its bittersweet caramel notes. Lyle’s Golden Syrup is an amber-hued sweetener common to the U.K.; mild clover honey works equally well if you can’t find the iconic green can of syrup.We plump the currants in bourbon, which enhances the flavors in the spice mix, then use the currant-flavored bourbon to make a shiny glaze.The work is spread over a couple days so the buns can be baked and served for breakfast or brunch. If you wish to bake the buns the same day, after shaping them, let them rise at room temperature until just shy of doubled, about an hour. Halfway into rising, heat the oven and prepare the egg wash and piping mixture. Once doubled, brush the buns with egg wash and pipe on the crosses, then bake and glaze as directed. Store extra buns in an airtight container up to three days; rewarm wrapped in foil in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Don’t heat the buttermilk to bring it to room temperature. Buttermilk curdles easily; it’s best to let it stand at room temperature. And don’t forget to pat the currants dry after draining their soaking liquid. Additional moisture can make the rather sticky dough difficult to handle when shaping.Start to finish: 13 hours (1¼ hours active), plus cooling

93 grams (⅔ cup) dried currants

1 cup buttermilk, room temperatureSubianto expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and its companies “that have participated in our economy, created jobs, transferred technology and built trust among all businesses, especially in our homeland.”

He also invited Chinese businesspeople to invest more in Indonesia. Two-way trade exceeded $147.8 billion last year, growing by 6.1%.Li said for nine consecutive years, China has been Indonesia’s largest trading partner, and its Belt and Road cooperation program has seen substantive progress, including nickel smelting plants and

, the commercial service of Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway which has been operating since October 2023, carrying nearly 10 million passengers.Indonesia wants a larger role in supplying nickel and other raw materials to China’s fast-growing electric car makers.