Chocolate hot cross buns with sugar glaze
These decadent glazed buns are also a delicious way to use up the annual surfeit of Easter eggs.
Ingredients
375ml lukewarm milk
7g dried yeast
50g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing and to serve
1 egg, beaten
600g plain flour, plus 60g for the crosses
50g Dutch process cocoa powder
100g caster sugar
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp ground cloves
1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
1⁄2 cup chopped Easter eggs (or chopped chocolate)
1 cup sultanas
Brown sugar glaze
60g unsalted butter
80g dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
flake salt, to scatter
Method
Step 1
Combine milk and yeast in a bowl and set aside until it foams, about 10 minutes.
Step 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the melted butter and egg with the milk and yeast mixture. Add the 600g flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and spices and knead on low speed until combined into a sticky dough. Add the chopped Easter eggs and sultanas to the dough and knead until the chocolate is evenly distributed.
Step 3
Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Place in a warm, draft-free place and allow to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Step 4
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball and place on a lined baking sheet, leaving about 2cm between each. Cover with a cloth and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
Step 5
Heat oven to 170C fan-forced (180C conventional). Mix the remaining 60g flour and 3-4 tbsp water to make a paste for the crosses. Transfer paste into a piping bag (or small press-seal bag with a corner cut off) and pipe a cross over each bun. Bake buns for 20 minutes, or until they spring back when touched.
Step 6
While the buns are baking, mix the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes until combined. Brush glaze over the warm buns as soon as they come out of the oven and scatter with flake salt. Allow buns to cool for a few minutes before serving (with butter).
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Adam Liaw is a cookbook author and food writer, co-host of Good Food Kitchen and former MasterChef winner.
