Friday, 10. April 2009 17:48
For some reason I seem to always bake on Good Friday! For years I have made home made hot cross buns. This year I decided to try something different- choc cross buns, but without the crosses!
I found a recipe online and tweaked it to make it my own. It was actually the bestest dough I have ever made in my kitchenaid. Once kneaded it was neither dry nor sticky and did it rise! I wish now I had taken photos along the way, but still, I have some of the finished products:

We did smilies:

And stars:

And even treble clefs:

They may look quite artisan like, but they tast damn fine!
Oh and the recipe I adapted:
2 x 8g sachets dried yeast
Pinch of salt
5 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
60g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 packet (250g) chocolate chips
1/3 cup water
1) Combine milk, yeast, salt and a pinch of sugar in a jug. Whisk together until combined.
2) Place the flour, cocoa and cinnamon together into a bowl (I used the mixer bowl.) Add 2 tablespoons of sugar (the remainder of the sugar will be used in the glaze), yeast mixture, butter and egg. With the dough hook, blend mixture together (speed 1). Increase speed to 2 and knead until dough is smooth, about 6-10 minutes. Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for up to 1 1/2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.
3) Punch dough down to its original size with your fist. Add chocolate chips and knead until well combined. Divide dough into 12 even portions and shape into balls. Place into a 20×30cm pan lined with baking paper about 1cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until buns double in size. Preheat the oven to 200ºC
4) Make a paste for the top decorations. I used about 3tbs plain flour, 1tbs cocoa and enough water to make a pipe-able paste and put it in my Tupperware piping do-dad! When the buns are ready to go into the oven, pipe on the decorations.
5) Bake buns for approx. 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of one of the buns comes out clean.
6) To make the glaze, put the boiling water and 2 tablespoons sugar in a ceramic bowl and microwave for 5 minutes. This can be done on the stove, but I find the microwave easier! Brush warm glaze over warm buns.
7) Serve Chocolate Hot Cross Buns warm or at room temperature.