Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Often Easter isn't complete without eating some warm hot cross buns straight from the oven. So for this coming Easter, perhaps you would like to give this recipe a try and bake a batch of your own. I saw this recipe from one of the Australia best selling Food Magazine known as "Super Food Idea". I am a big fan of this magazine during my stay in Australia a few years back and today all thanks to my dear friend, Quinn who stays in Adelaide. With her help on getting this magazine for us, we are able to try out this wonderful Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Bun. She is so sweet and helpful that she even take photo of the recipes and email to me in case we don't received the book before Easter.

This recipe is great for those who prefer a lighter version of hot cross bun which is without adding any "ground cinnamon, mixed spices or sultanas" in it. I am sure the kids will love this Chocolate Chip version which is more to their preference compare to the traditional ingredients used. From the above picture, you can roughly have an idea on how to prepare the "yeast mixture", mixture the flour with the yeast mixture, proofing the dough and as well as rolling.

Source : Australian Super Food Idea Magazine
Ingredients: (make 12, 55g dough)
1 Teaspoon Active Dried Yeast
190ml Luke Warm Milk
30g Caster Sugar
300g Plain Flour
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder, about 30g
30g Butter, cubes
1/2 Egg, lightly beaten
40g Chocolate Chips

Method:
1. Grease a 8" square cake pan, set aside.
2. Place yeast, milk and 1/2 tablespoon sugar(from the 30g above) in a bowl. Whisk to dissolve yeast, cover and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes or until foamy.
3. Sift flour and cocoa powder in a bowl. Rub in butter till mixture resemble breadcrumbs.
4. Make a well in the center, add yeast mixture, egg and remaining sugar.
5. Stir the mixture till combine.
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead for 1 minutes then transfer to a oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. (I placed the dough inside the microwave, door closed, with a cup of boiling water so that the heat from the boiling water will keep the area warm)
7. When the dough is ready(refer to the 1st picture on the 3rd row shown on the above picture, when you press the dough with a finger it will show a clear indent mark means the dough is ready), punch down dough, knead for another 5 minutes or until smooth.
8. Add chocolate bits, knead till combined, divide the dough into 12 balls or 55g each.
9. Placed them in the prepared oiled pan, cover and set aside in a warm place for another 30 minutes or until slightly risen.

Note:
~ The milk should not be too hot or else it will killed the yeast when they are added to the milk.
~ The temperate for Luke Warm is about 36 - 40 Celsius.
~ The yeast mixture should begin to bubble up within 30 second to 1 minute if not, check the milk temperature or maybe replace the yeast.

Finally after about 1.5 hours of proofing, rolling and waiting time. You can prepare the flour mixture to pipe crosses over the dough and bake till done before brushing a layer of glacing. Although this recipe might seems to have a lot of procedure and waiting time(for the proofing of dough) but it really worth to give it a try for coming Easter or even bake it as weekend snack.

Flour Paste:
20g Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Caster Sugar
1.5 Tablespoon Cold Water

For Glacing:
1/2 Teaspoon Gelatine
1/2 Tablespoon Boiling Water

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree and make the flour paste.
2. Combine flour, sugar and water in a small cup, spoon mixture into a snap lock bag/plastic bag.
3. Snip 1 corner from bag, pipe crosses onto the buns, bake for 10 minutes.
4. Reduce the temperature to 160 degree and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatine over boiling water in a heatproof cup, stir with a fork/spoon till dissolve.
6. Brush top of the bake hot cross bun with gelatine mixture for the extra glacing.

So after about 2 hours of preparing, waiting and baking time, it's time to sit down and enjoy our labour with a cup of hot coffee/tea. Once again, I would like to give thanks to Quinnfor her kind effort and thought to get us this recipe/book. Thank you so much pal, wish you and Aaron a Happy coming Easter Sunday too....