Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns
Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Bun - A delicious teatime treat for Easter, a twist on the original and a really fun bake over the spring holiday period.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 220 ml Semi-skimmed milk
- 50 g Unsalted butter
- 450 g Strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp Fine salt
- 7 g Sachet of instant yeast
- 3 tsp Ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 45 g Caster sugar
- 125 g Candid peel
- 175 g Chocolate orange chopped into small chunks
- 1 tsp Orange extract
- 1 Medium free range egg, beaten
To decorate:
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 50 g Plain flour or strong white bread flour
For the glaze:
- 2 tbsp Caster sugar
Instructions
- Heat the milk until it is hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Put to one side and allow the butter to melt into the milk as the milk cools.
- Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt, yeast, mixed spice, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.
- Add the candid peel and chopped chocolate and stir.
- When the milk and butter mixture is tepid, add the orange extract and pour it all into the flour mixture.
- Add in the beaten egg.
- Bring the mixture together to form a dough and turn out and knead for 5 minutes until springy.
- Place in a clean, oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film.
- Allow to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.
- After this time, the dough should have doubled in size. Portion it into 12 pieces and form into buns by stretching the edges of each one down and under using the edge of your hand, until they make neat, tight balls. Place onto an oiled baking tray.
- Cover again with the oiled clingfilm and allow to rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.
- Pre-heat the oven to 220C.
- Brush the buns with the milk.
- For the crosses, mix the flour with enough water to make a soft paste. Use a piping bag (or sandwich bag with the end snipped off) to pipe crosses onto each bun.
- Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until just turning dark brown.
- Whilst they are in the oven, put the caster sugar with 2 tbsp water into a small pan and warm until the sugar dissolves.
- When the buns come out of the oven, brush immediately with the sugar syrup.
- These are best eaten on the day they are made or frozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2.4mg