Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Yes, I know it's kitsch but I'm a sucker for those little fluffy chickens!! Each year for Easter we bake at least one batch of hot cross buns, I like mixed fruit with citrus peel, Mark likes fruit and no peel & Dan likes chocolate hot cross buns. I went with Daniel's choice, I didn't have enough chocolate chips so I chopped dark eating chocolate to make up the amount. "Whew" lucky Daniel isn't here today he doubles the amount the chocolate!!

I got a subscription to the Australian Women's Weekly magazine as part of resigning with our internet provider, I've been pleasantly surprised by the recipe content. This month the magazine contains, Easter Cupcakes, Hot Cross Buns, a French menu from Shannon Bennett (I LOVE Shannon Bennett!), plus slow cooking recipes, a low fat laska & reader recipes.

Today's Chocolate hot cross bun recipe from...

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Australian Women's Weekly, March 2010

Ingredients

4 teaspoons (14g) dry yeast

1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar (superfine)

1 cup (250ml) warm milk

4 cups (600g) plain flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

80g butter, chopped

1 1/2 cups of choc chips or chopped chocolate

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup (80ml) of warm water (approximately) 

Flour paste for crosses

1/4 cup (35g) of plain flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 teaspoons of caster sugar

2 tablespoons cold water (approximately) 

Glaze

I tablespoon of caster sugar

1 teaspoon powdered *gelatine

1 tablespoon of water

Method

Combine the yeast with one tablespoon of the sugar and all of the milk in a small bowl; whisk until the yeast is dissolved. Cover bowl and stand in a warm place for about 10 minutes until the yeast mixture is  frothy. 

Sift the flour, spices and salt into a large bowl; rub in the butter. Stir in the remaining sugar, chocolate, yeast mixture, egg and enough water to make a soft dough. Cover your dough with oiled plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for about one hour or until mixture has doubled in size.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes (you can use your stand mixer with a dough hook for 5 minutes if you prefer) until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Divide the dough into 20 portions and roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls, almost touching, on a large greased oven tray. Stand in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 220c (425 F) or 200c (395F) if your using a fan forced oven.

Method Flour Paste Crosses

Sift flour, cocoa & sugar into a small bowl; gradually stir in enough water to make a smooth thick paste. Place the flour paste into a piping bag with a small tube or put in a zip lock bag and snip off the corner. Pipe crosses.

Bake

Bake buns for about 15 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped.

Method Glaze

Combine all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over low heat, without boiling, until the sugar and gelatine dissolves. Transfer the baked buns to a wire rack, brush the tops with glaze. 

Eat warm & enjoy!!

Tips and variations

*Cooled buns are suitable to freeze. Wrap well and store in freezer for up to three weeks.

*For a vegetarian version, replace glaze with warm sieved apricot jam, use a pastry brush to brush over the tops of buns.

*You can if you prefer make the buns the day before up to the shaping balls stage, cover the balls on the tray with oiled plastic wrap, refrigerate and the next morning bring to room temperature, pipe on the crosses, bake & glaze.

*Omit cross paste and pipe on melted chocolate crosses if preferred.

Australian Women's Weekly magazine available from Supermarkets, News-agencies, Borders and subscriptions on line from Magshop

Thank you Cindy for the fluffy chickens :)