• 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. milk
• 1/2 tsp. quick rising dry yeast
• 1-1/2 tsp. brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• dash of ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 cup all purpose flour, plus additional if necessary
• 1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
• 1-1/2 tsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg, room temperature, 1 lightly beaten
• 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. currants or raisins
• 1/4 tsp. water
• 2 Tbs. confectioner's sugar
• 3/4 tsp. heavy cream
• 1/3 cup strawberry preserves

Place milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. When milk begins to boil, remove from heat. Set aside and let cool to 115°F-120°F. Stir in yeast. Let stand 5 minutes for yeast to activate. Combine next 5 ingredients and 1 cup flour in a large bowl. Stir yeast mixture into dry mixture and mix thoroughly. Cover bowl and set in a warm draft-free area to rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Stir salt, softened butter, 1 egg, currants and remaining flour into dough. Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until very smooth, adding more flour if necessary. Divide dough into 12 pieces. Form each piece into a bun. Arrange buns 2 inches apart on a buttered baking sheet. Cover and set in a warm draft-free area to rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a sharp knife or razor, cut a shallow cross into each bun. Beat remaining egg with water in a bowl. Brush buns with egg glaze. Bake 15 minutes, or until buns have browned on top. Transfer buns to a rack to cool. Combine confectioner's sugar and cream. Add more cream if mixture is too dry. Drizzle confectioner's sugar glaze over cross on buns. Serve with preserves.

Per serving: calories 240, fat 3.6g, 13% calories from fat, cholesterol 53mg, protein 5.2g, carbohydrates 47.8g, fiber 1.5g, sugar 25.4g, sodium 32mg, diet points 5.3.

Dietary Exchanges: Milk: 0.0, Vegetable: 0.0, Fruit: 0.1, Bread: 1.3, Lean meat: 0.1, Fat: 0.5, Sugar: 1.4, Very lean meat protein: 0.0

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