Chocolate Hot Cross Buns with Hidden Easter Eggs

Another of my Easter baking experiments has been tinkering with my Hot Cross Buns recipe.  I always bake large batches of traditionally flavoured Hot Cross Buns, although I do leave out the mixed peel, and they are rapidly devoured by family and friends.

I decided, mainly because my chocoholic husband nagged requested, to try making Chocolate Hot Cross Buns.  My daughters suggested hiding an Easter Egg inside and a new recipe idea was born.  The crosses on the top of the buns were piped on using a simple icing sugar and water icing, much easier than piping a dough cross on the top and it looks much tidier too.  We used a mixture of mini Creme Eggs and mini caramel filled Easter Eggs to hide in the Hot Cross Buns.

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns with Hidden Easter Eggs

450g strong white bread flour

50g butter, diced

30g caster sugar

½ teaspoon salt

20g cocoa powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

7g sachet dry yeast

250ml milk, lukewarm (I used semi-skimmed)

1 free range egg, lightly beaten

10 – 12 mini Easter Eggs

Put the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add the sugar, salt, cocoa, cinnamon and yeast.  Stir to combine.  Make a well in centre and add the milk and egg.  Mix until a soft dough forms.  Knead the dough for 5 minutes in a stand mixer, the dough is wet and sticky so difficult to knead by hand.  Transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with clingfilm and leave to prove for an hour or until doubled in size.

Knock the dough back and knead for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface.  Divide into 10 – 12 equal portions.  Place a mini Easter Egg into the middle of each portion of dough.  Draw up the dough around it and shape into a smooth ball.  Put all the balls of dough onto a lined baking tray.  Cover with clingfilm an leave to prove for 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size.  Whilst the buns are proving preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan.

Once proved, uncover the buns and bake for 10 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C Fan and bake the buns for a further 20 minutes.  Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mix a little icing sugar with a little water and pipe crosses on to the top of each bun.

I'm linking this recipe with the Get Your Craft On Challenge, a fab monthly craft event, hosted this month by Missie Lizzie over on Me and My Shadow. The theme this month is Chicks and Eggs, perfect for Easter planning!