Hot Cross Muffins

Are you yeast-phobic? Are you certain that you and yeast just don't get along, and never will? Well, here's a recipe that'll help convince you that yeast baking is just about the easiest, most forgiving type of baking you can do, particularly with the advent of instant yeast. This recipe skips the kneading and cuts right to the chase: a short rise, followed by baking and eating.

Bake these muffins while the kids are hunting for Easter baskets; by the time they've gotten their feet soaked from the early morning dew, and have managed to consume about three times as much chocolate as they should have, you'll have these on the table. Note that these are somewhat chewy, like a yeast bun, rather than fall-apart tender, like a muffin. They won't crumble when you split them open and spread them with butter.
Batter
1 cup (5 ounces) raisins, golden raisins or sultanas
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) rum or water
4 cups (1 pound) Mellow Pastry Blend or 3 3/4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) potato flour OR dried potato flakes
1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon Cake Doughnut Flavor Powder OR 1 teaspoon Island Spice Flavor OR 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg + 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) warm water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter, melted

Icing
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) glazing or confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk or cream
Batter: Mix together the raisins and rum or water in a non-reactive bowl, and set the mixture aside. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients; it's important to whisk thoroughly, so that the potato flour doesn't clump when the liquids are added.

Stir in the Island Spice Flavor (if you're using it), eggs, water, melted butter and the raisin mixture (including any remaining soaking liquid), then beat till all of the ingredients are incorporated and the dough is cohesive. It won't be smooth; that's OK. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 minutes; it'll get a bit puffy, but won't really increase much in size.

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Stir the dough briefly to deflate it, and use a muffin scoop or 1/4-cup measure to fill 18 greased muffin cups; each should be about two-thirds full. Let the muffins rise, covered, for 20 minutes, until they've risen almost to the top of the cups. Bake them for 20 minutes, until they're a light golden brown. Remove them from the pans and allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before icing. Yield: 18 muffins.

Icing: Combine all the icing ingredients in a small bowl and beat till thick. Use a pastry bag and tip to pipe thick crosses onto the muffins. (If you don't have a pastry bag, fill a sturdy plastic bag with the frosting, squeezing it down into one corner. Snip the tip of the bag off, and squeeze the frosting onto the muffins.)