Chocolate Hot Cross Buns 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.

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Prepare the dough the day before baking. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a jug. Put the flour, cocoa powder, white and milk chocolate chunks, yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
• With the motor running on a medium speed, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until everything is incorporated and comes together into a soft dough, about 2-3 mins. Gradually add the butter, and slowly increase the speed, kneading for 8-10 mins until the dough comes away from the side of the bowl and clings to the hook. Scrape the dough off the hook (it will be very sticky at this point), cover and chill overnight.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into nine equal pieces, about 100g each. Knead each piece slightly and pull the dough in on itself to create a ball. Arrange the dough balls on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, leaving some room between each. Cover and leave to prove in a warm place for 2 hrs, or until almost doubled in size.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. For the topping, combine the flour, sugar and 3 tbsp water, adding the water 1 tbsp at a time until you have a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle and pipe crosses onto the buns. Bake for 20 mins until risen. Meanwhile, heat the apricot jam in a small pan over a low heat to loosen, then brush over the warm buns. Leave to cool before serving.

CHOCOLATE & SPICE HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Make the dough first. Heat the milk in a pan until steaming. Remove from the heat, and drop in the butter. After a couple of mins, beat in the egg and half the orange zest. The liquid should be just warm for step 2.
• Mix the strong flour, yeast, 1 tsp salt and the sugar in a large bowl, then tip in the liquid and stir to make a soft dough without dry patches. Flour the work surface and your hands, then knead the dough for 5-10 mins until smooth and elastic. Use a stand mixer or processor if you like. Oil a large bowl, sit the dough inside it, then cover with oiled cling film. Rise in a warm place for about 1 hr or until doubled in size.
• Put the raisins and half the orange juice in a small pan or covered bowl, and either simmer for a few mins or microwave on High for 1 min until hot. Cool completely. Break the chocolate into a food processor with the cinnamon and 2 tbsp sugar, then pulse until very finely chopped. Mix in the rest of the zest. If you don't have a processor, chop it by hand or grate it, then mix with the other ingredients.
• Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface and press it out to a large rectangle, a little bigger than A4 paper. Scatter it evenly with the chocolate mix and the raisins, which should have absorbed all of the juice (drain them if not). Roll the dough up around the filling, then knead it well for a few mins until the chocolate and fruit are evenly spread. Some raisins and chocolate will try to escape, but keep kneading them back in.
• Grease then line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into buns by pinching each ball of dough into a purse shape, concentrating on making the underneath of the ball (which will be the top) as smooth as you can. Put the buns, smooth-side up, onto the baking sheet, leaving room for rising. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and prove in a warm place for 30-45 mins or until the dough has risen and doesn't spring back quickly when prodded gently.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. To make the paste for the crosses, gradually stir 6-7 tbsp water into the plain flour to make a smooth, thick paste, then put in a food bag and snip off the end to about 5mm. Pipe the crosses, then bake for 20-25 mins until the buns are risen and dark golden brown.
• Mix the rest of the orange juice with the remaining sugar and let it dissolve. Brush the syrup over the buns while they are hot, then leave to cool. Eat on the day of baking, or toast the next day.