Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns With Marmalade Glaze Recipes

CHOCOLATE CHIP HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• KIDS the writing in bold is for you ADULTS the rest is for you. Mix the bun ingredients. Put the strong flour, yeast, caster sugar and 1 tsp salt in a bowl with the spices and mix. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk, egg and butter. Start mixing with a plastic or wooden spoon and finish with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add warm water, or extra flour if it's wet.
• Now stretch the dough - this is called kneading. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 mins until it becomes smooth and springy. This will be a bit too much work for children, so get them to start the kneading, then when they get tired, take over.
• Leave the dough to rise until doubled in size because of the yeast. Transfer to a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until roughly doubled in size - this will take about 1 hr depending on how warm the room is.
• Add the chocolate chips and do some division. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten. Scatter over the chocolate chips (or dried fruit), and knead the dough a few more times. Divide it into 8 even portions - halve the dough, then halve each portion twice more, and explain the maths.
• Roll the dough into buns. Roll each portion into a smooth round and place on a greased baking sheet in 2 rows of 4, leaving some room between each bun for it to rise. Cover with a tea towel again and leave in a warm place to prove for 20 mins, until almost doubled in size again or just touching.
• Make the crosses on the buns and bake them. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the plain flour with 1 tsp sugar and 4-5 tbsp water to give you a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe white lines on the buns to make crosses. Bake for 20 mins until they are light brown.
• Brush them with jam if you want them to be nice and shiny. If you want to enjoy the buns untoasted, gently heat the jam in a pan or the microwave, and brush over the buns using a pastry brush. If you are going to toast them, then don't glaze them as the jam will burn.

CHOCOLATE CHIP HOT CROSS BUNS WITH MARMALADE GLAZE

Steps:

• Put the raisins and orange juice in a bowl and leave to soak while you make the dough. Stir occasionally.
• Heat the milk until just warmer than skin temperature. Remove from the heat and put the butter into the milk and allow it to melt then whisk in the egg.
• Mix together the flour, yeast, sugar and spices then mix in the liquid and a pinch of salt and stir to combine into a dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a good 10 minutes until it's soft and looks smooth (not mottled) when you stretch it. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or oiled cling film, leave in a warm place for approx. 1hr until it's doubled in size.
• When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface, knock it back by giving it a quick knead then press it out into a flat square. Sprinkle over the soaked raisins (leaving behind any juice that hasn't soaked in) and the chocolate chips then roll up the dough and knead to incorporate them into the dough. The bits will try to escape but just press them back in.
• Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into smooth balls. Put the balls onto a parchment covered baking sheet, leaving some space for them to rise. Cover them loosely with a damp tea towel or oiled cling film, leave in a warm place for 40 minutes to rise.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan. Mix the plain flour with enough water to make a thick paste. Pipe the paste or drizzle with a spoon, over the top of the buns to make crosses.
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden and risen and sound hollow when you tap the bottoms. Cool on a rack. While they're cooling, melt the marmalade until it's runny then brush over the buns to glaze.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a pan until steaming. Remove from the heat, add the butter and 3 tbsp marmalade, and stir until dissolved.
• Mix the bread flour, yeast, cinnamon, raisins, candied peel, chocolate and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the egg to the milk mixture, tip into the flour and stir to make a soft dough. Flour the work surface and your hands, then knead the dough for 10 mins until smooth and elastic. If any fruit or chocolate pieces escape, keep kneading them back in.
• Grease then line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Shape them into buns by kneading each and then rolling under one hand on the work surface until smooth. Put the buns on the baking sheet, leaving room for rising, then slightly press them down to flatten a little. Cover loosely with cling film and prove in a warm place for 2 hrs or until the buns are well risen and doubled in size. Be patient, as it will make all the difference to the texture.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Gradualy stir 90-105ml water into the plain flour to make a smooth, thick paste. Pour the mixture into a food bag and snip off a corner to make a hole about 5mm wide, then use it to pipe the crosses onto the buns. Bake for 20-25 mins until the buns are risen and golden brown, and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
• For the glaze, melt the remaining marmalade in the microwave or a small pan and brush over the buns while they're hot, then leave to cool. Eat on the day of baking, or toast the next day.