insideKENT Magazine Issue 48 - March 2016 | Page 39

FOOD+DRINK

HOT CROSS BUNS with a twist
Small spiced buns filled with currents and fruit and with that distinctive white cross on
the top… That’s a hot cross bun, and for many of us, that means Easter.
Hot cross buns and their link with Easter have been around since Tudor times.
It was illegal to eat these yummy delicacies at any time of the year other than
on Good Friday (although you could, if you wanted, serve them at funerals too!),
so they became something to really look forward to in the spring time.

Now we’ve reached the 21st century, hot cross buns are just as popular
as ever, and putting a modern twist on a traditional recipe is something
that many bakers find exciting – and so do we, especially when those
new recipes also include another Easter favourite: chocolate!

Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns
The chocolate chips in this recipe bring a bit of indulgence to the traditional hot cross bun and they’re great to bake with if you aren’t
too fond of raisins and sultanas. The orange brings a delicious zesty and fresh addition and makes these buns the perfect breakfast
treat with coffee. Each bun also has a lovely mix of spice – the recipe includes a little bit of mixed spice and ground cinnamon.

Ingredients
(makes 12 buns)
Dough
• 500g plain flour
• 80g unsalted butter or margarine
• 7g fast action dried yeast (1 standard packet)
• 60g caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large free-range egg
• 100g milk chocolate chips – or the same
amount of dark or white chocolate chips
• Zest from 1 large orange
• 180ml milk, warmed + extra if needed
Crosses
• 75g plain flour
• 75ml water
Sugar syrup
• 80g caster sugar
• 3 tbsp water

Method:
1. To make the dough: Add the flour to a large
mixing bowl and use your fingertips to rub in
the butter until the mixture looks like fine
breadcrumbs. Add the yeast, sugar and salt,
spices and mix to combine fully. Add the egg
and milk and mix to form a sticky dough.
2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface
for 5-10 minutes or until the dough is soft and
elasticated. Place in a bowl, cover with cling
film and leave somewhere warm to rise for 12 hours or until doubled in size.
3. Once doubled in size remove from the bowl
and knead the chocolate chips and orange
zest into the dough. Divide the dough into 12
equally sized portions (you want to be as precise
as you can now). Shape into rounds and then
place on a lined 23cm (9-inch) deep baking
dish. Space the pieces of dough apart from
each other so they have room to rise and join
up. Cover again and leave somewhere warm

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until doubled in size and all joined up – this
should take about 40-60 minutes (but it can
take longer depending on the temperature of
your surrounding).
4. Preheat your oven to 200ºC / 400ºF / gas mark
6. Make the flour paste by combining the flour
and water together until thick and a piping
consistency. Fill a small piping bag, fitted with
a small round nozzle. Pipe the cross design on
each risen bun. Bake for 20-25 minutes until
golden and fragrant. Make the glaze by
dissolving the sugar and water in a small
saucepan and just allowing it to boil. Brush the
top of each bun with the glaze and leave to
set.
5. Serve warm and toasted with lashings of butter
and chocolate spread!
Recipe reproduced with permission from
Jessica Creed
www.whatjessicabakednext.com