Ostara Recipes

Hot Cross Buns

• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 cup suagr
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (1 oz.) dry yeast
• 1 large egg, well beaten
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 3/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 cups orange juice

Combine all ingredients except yeast and eggs and mix well. Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup hot water. Add yeast and eggs to the rest of the rest and mix well. Cover with a cloth and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot until it has nearly doubled. This will take about an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Shape the dough into round balls about 3 inches across and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. After 5 minutes, remove buns and cut into the dough about 3/4 of an inch down, slicing equilateral crosses into the tops. Return to oven. Allow to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the buns from the oven and drizzle on the honey cake frosting mentioned on the Imbolc page.

Makes approximately 1 1/2 dozen

Egg Nog

• 12 eggs, separated
• 1 lb. confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whiskey, ale, or dark rum
• 2 quartz whipping cream
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup tap water
• 1 cup milk

Mix the egg yolks, sugar, alcohol, and salt and let stand in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, beat the egg whites until just stiff, and mix them and the rest of the ingredients together. Serve chilled.

Make approximately 1 gallon

Pashka

• 2 1/2 pounds small curd cottage cheese
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup chopped almonds or pecans
• 3/4 cup chopped peaches
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries or dried cherries
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 sticks butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups evaporated milk or cream
• 2 eggs

Mix all ingredients except the cottage cheese in a large pan over low heat until it thickens to the consistency of pudding. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Mix in the cottage cheese and beat well for about 3 minutes. Place in a cake pan and chill over night. Decorate the cake with candies eggs, flowers, chocolates, or other spring delicacies. Keep refrigerated.

SOURCE: The Wiccan Garden, as taken from The Sabbats: A New Approach to Living the Old Ways by Edain McCoy and Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham