Hot Choc Buns -v Hot Cross Buns (better than amazing)

It's Easter again and everybody is enjoying Hot Cross Buns, except for me that is!

It happens every year, much the same at Christmas too! A time to enjoy mince pies, christmas cake and pudding, except for me that is!

Toasted  and buttered Hot Cross Buns always look so delicious to me but I don't like dried fruits!!!! I have been known to pick out the fruit, making a complete mess along the way, resulting in a now cold bun and not a lot of it either.

'Why not replace the fruit with choc chips'?

'Absolutely no reason at all, do it.  Go on make some'

Job done, now I and anybody else that dislikes dried fruit, can enjoy this Easter favourite too.  Success.

I first made the Hot Choc Buns at Easter 2010 but did not get to photograph them that day.  The plan was to test them first and make another batch if they turned out as expected.  They did turn out as expected but, I run out of time to make another batch. Therefore, no photos for a blog post!

Plan two, make and photograph next year! Well that never happened due to illness!

Third time lucky.  I made a batch yesterday afternoon and was planning to get photos ready to blog later in the day.  This time however, I made six with choc chips and six with sultanas & raisins.  But no, unexpected guests arrived, ate all (bar one) and that was the afternoon gone!

There is a pattern forming here don't you think?  Perhaps I'm just not supposed to blog these utterly delicious, moorish buns!!!!!

Come what may, I was not giving up though.

Barry took over the kitchen, slicing buns in half and toasting them for us and our guests to enjoy with melting butter slathered over them.  It was like a taste testing in the kitchen LOL  When I noticed how quickly they were disappearing I had the piece of mind to quicky hide one.  The 'one' I had planned to hide was a 'choc' bun'.  A delicious buttered Hot Choc Bun for my breakfast this morning, was the plan.  But oh no, even that could not go my way.  In my haste I'd wrongly picked one with fruit in it, yuk.

The only good thing about this is that I was able to photogrph it before a certain someone got up and ate it LOL!

Recipe adapted from Citrus & Candy

For 12 buns (6 choc chip/6 fruit)

310ml warmed milk

60g caster sugar

16g instant dried yeast (about 4 teaspoons)

600g plain flour, sifted

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

60g butter, softened

160g of chocolate chips

160g of sultanas/raisins mixed

2 eggs

Topping

60g plain flour

60ml water

2 Tbs apricot jam, warmed in a pan over low heat and strained

In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk and yeast together until sugar has dissolved. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes or until it becomes frothy.

Mix the flour, salt and ground spices in a large bowl. With your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until mixed and crumbly. Divide the mixtue in half equally and place in 2 seperate bowls.  Stir in the sultanas & raisins to one bowl and the choc chips to the other, Now add 1 egg to each and half the frothy yeast mixture to each, mix both well until combined.

On a lightly floured surface, knead each bread dough for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Lightly grease the bowls, place the doughs back in and turn to coat the surface with grease. Cover in clingwrap and leave in a warm, draught-free place for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

When ready, remove the clingwrap and use your fist to punch down the dough. Give it a quick knead until smooth and divide into 6 rounds for each one, giving 12 equal rounds in total.

Place the buns onto  greased baking trays, cover with clingwrap and leave in warm place to rise for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200c.

Prepare the topping.  Whisk together the plain flour and water to a smooth paste. Pipe crosses on top of the buns and bake at 200c for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180c bake for a further 15 minutes. Buns are ready when it sounds hollow when you tap the tops.  Swapping trays around half way through.

Brush with warmed apricot jam while the buns are still warm.

Of course, there's nothing to stop you making 12 buns with fruit only.  But, trust me Hot Choc Buns are to die for.

Sound good to you too.  Make them today and tell me different if you dare LOL.

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