Double Choc Hot Cross Buns Recipes

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 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.