Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Chocolate.1I’ve eaten the traditional variety of Hot Cross Buns all my life, but have never tried Chocolate Hot Cross Buns.  I’ve looked at a few recipes,  and no two are the same, so I settled on this one to try.  I was happy with how they turned out, although I would have liked them to rise a little higher.  I also think these really should be eaten the day they are made.  Although quite a decadent alternative, I think I prefer traditional Hot Cross Buns.

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

  • 250ml warm milk
  • 7g sachet dry yeast
  • 50g sugar
  • 380g plain flour
  • 30g cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice
  • 60g butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
  • Paste for crosses
  • 30g flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
  • Glaze
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon gelatine powder
  • 1 tablespoon boiling water
  1. Grease a 6cm-deep, 23cm  square cake pan.
  2. Place yeast, milk and 1 tablespoon sugar in a bowl. Whisk to dissolve yeast and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes or until foamy.
  3. Sift flour, cocoa and mixed spice into a bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and make a well in the centre. Add yeast mixture, egg and remaining sugar. Stir to combine. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 1 minute. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
  4. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes or until smooth, adding the chocolate chips. Knead to combine. Roll into 16 equal sized balls. Place in prepared pan. Cover again and place in a warm place for 30 minutes or until dough has almost doubled in size.
  5. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  6. Make Paste for crosses: Combine flour, sugar and 2 tablespoons of cold water in a bowl. Spoon the paste into a small plastic piping bag and pipe crosses onto the top of each bun. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C. Cook for a further 20-25 minutes or until the buns are golden brown and cooked through.
  7. Make the glaze by sprinkling the gelatine and sugar over boiling water in a heatproof jug. Stir with a fork until gelatine has dissolved. Turn buns, onto a wire rack. Brush tops with gelatine mixture.

I think they are best eaten the day they are made. They can be kept in an airtight container for a couple of days, but then I’d be toasting them with lashings of butter to enjoy with a hot cup of tea!

Chocolate

 



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