Hot cross buns

My first time baking with a yeast sponge!

I adapted one of the recipes from Chocolate and Zucchini. I was a little timid about using the active yeast, especially since my instant-rise yeast has been acting a little strange lately. So I proofed the yeast first in milk and sugar.
Half of the buns had to be raisin-less because raisins are anathema to a certain Mr Q. And instead of glaze or flour crosses, I rolled out some marzipan and mixed it with a bit of lemon juice. As you can see from the picture, the marzipan cracked as the buns expanded.
Oh well. They were tasty, especially with butter and jam, and I was so proud of myself! And, in sum, this is housewifely-est post I have ever written. Excuse me, I must go purge now.