Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Food

HOT CROSS BUNS WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Steps:

• Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the yeast, sugar, salt and spices and mix well to combine.
• Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk and butter. Stir the liquid into each other, then add in the egg. Mix with a wooden spoon then bring the dough together with your hands, pressing into it until it forms a sticky ball. (If the dough is too dry add a little water in tablespoon increments (up to 1/2 cup if needed) until the dough is just sticky to touch.)
• Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and springy.
• Transfer dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap (or a clean, damp tea towel). Leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour depending on how warm the room is).
• Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Punch down dough and transfer onto lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with 3/4 of the chocolate chips and knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 or 15 even portions (depending on how many buns you need). Roll each piece into round smooth balls and arrange on baking sheet, leaving space between each bun to allow them to rise. Press remaining chocolate chips on top of each bun.
• Cover with plastic wrap (or damp tea towel) and place in a warm place once again to prove for 20-30 mins, until doubled and just touching. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• When oven is hot, bake buns for 20 minutes until they are golden brown and sound hollow inside when tapped.

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.

DOUBLE CHOC HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• For the dough, warm 275ml of the milk for a few mins in a small pan or 1 min in a microwave on High. Mix the flour, cocoa, yeast, sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, and whisk the egg and vanilla extract into the warm milk. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir to make a soft dough. Tip the dough onto a clean work surface and knead for 10 mins until smooth and elastic. Put the dough back in the cleaned mixing bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size - about 1 hr.
• Turn the dough back out onto a work surface, scatter over the raisins and chocolate chips, and knead them in.
• Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheet in a 4 x 3 formation, leaving some room in between for rising. Score a cross on the top of each bun, cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to prove until the buns have nearly doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. For the white chocolate crosses, melt the white chocolate with the milk in a small pan or in the microwave, then stir in the flour, 1 tbsp at a time, to make a smooth paste. Spoon into a disposable piping bag or food bag, and snip off the tip of the corner.
• Glaze the buns with the remaining milk and bake for 15 mins, then pipe on crosses where you scored the dough and bake for 5 mins more. Cool on a wire rack before eating.

CHOCOLATE & TROPICAL FRUIT HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Soak the sultanas, pineapple and mango in the rum for 1 hr.
• Mix the bread flour, yeast, sugar, cinnamon, oil, 2 tsp sea salt and 350ml warm water in a bowl with a spoon first, and then with your hands. Add the zest, chopped chocolate and soaked fruit and continue to knead (or use a mixer fitted with a dough hook) for around 10 mins until it feels less sticky. Shape into a ball, return to the bowl and cover. Leave to rise for about 1 hr or until doubled in size (or leave in the fridge overnight).
• Knock the air out of the dough. On a floured surface, shape into eight buns. Put the buns on a baking tray lined with baking parchment (no more than 2cm apart) and prove somewhere warm for 1 hr or until well risen.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Brush the bun tops with milk. Mix the plain flour with water to make a paste, transfer to a piping bag and pipe crosses on top. Bake for 25-30 mins or until golden and risen. Brush with the jam while still warm. Once cooled, drizzle with the melted dark chocolate.

CHOCOLATE HOT CROSS BUN BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the cream, milk, 100g of the dark chocolate, the cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt in a saucepan over a low-medium heat and whisk until the mixture is smooth and fully combined. Pour into a large bowl to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, split the hot cross buns and spoon 1 tsp chocolate spread over the base of each, then sandwich with the bun tops. Arrange the buns in a 5cm-deep, 30 x 20cm baking dish in a single layer, then sprinkle over the rest of the chopped dark chocolate.
• When the chocolate cream mixture has cooled to room temperature, whisk in the eggs. Slowly pour this custard over the hot cross buns, then cover and chill for 1 hr until some of the custard has been absorbed by the buns.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake for 40-45 mins until the top is golden and the custard is gently set. Leave to stand for 5 mins, then serve with ice cream, if you like.

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.