Sorted your Hot Cross Buns for Easter weekend yet? We didn’t think so – give our recipe a try and with the addition of coffee AND chocolate, you’re guaranteed to win the taste test this year.
Ingredients
For the buns:
1 tbsp instant dry yeast
100g caster sugar
350ml lukewarm milk
480g plain flour
50g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
20g finely ground instant coffee
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
165g cups chopped milk chocolate, melted
30g desiccated coconut
350g cups dark chocolate chips
For the glaze:
50g golden caster sugar
3 tbsp hot water
For the crosses:
60g white chocolate (2 oz)
Method
- To make the buns, combine the milk and dry yeast in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes; the mixture should become frothy and grow in size – indicating the yeast is alive.
- Place all of the remaining ingredients into a blender and add the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on a low setting until the mixture comes together.
- Increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 – 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic; if you don’t have a hook attachment this can easily be done by hand.
- Place the dough in a large, non-metallic bowl and cover with cling-film. Set aside in warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Grease and line an 8 x 8 inch rectangular tin with greaseproof paper.
- Once the dough has risen, divide and shape into 12 buns. Arrange in the tin in rows of 3 x 4.
- Cover the tin with cling-film and set aside again to rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200 C.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Whilst the buns are baking, prepare your glaze. Dissolve the sugar in hot water. Once the hot cross buns are cooked, remove them from the oven and brush them with a few coats of glaze.
- To make the crosses, melt white chocolate in the microwave in 10 second bursts, stirring frequently. Using a piping bag (or if you don’t have one, a small sandwich bag with a snipped corner will do) pipe crosses across the buns.
- Serve warm.
