Chocolate Cherry and Prune Hot Cross Buns
Recipe From What's For Lunch, Honey?
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes + 1 hour, plus cooling and rising
Makes: 12 buns
Ingredients:
500g plain flour
14g (2 sachets) dried yeast
50g soft butter, in pieces
100g muscovado sugar
3 teaspoon ground mixed spice: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cloves
250g pitted prunes, chopped
100g dried cherries
250ml warm (not hot) milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
100g dark chocolate, chopped
plain flour, for dusting (if needed)
3 tablespoons plain flour
75g caster sugar
Method:
Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the butter and rub between your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, spices, prunes and dried cherries.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then sprinkle in the yeast and pour the warm milk. With your finger rashly stir the yeast and milk together until the yeast has dissolved, then add and stir in the beaten egg. Add the chocolate and, using a large spoon at first, then your hands, bring the mixture together to make a dough.
Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes, either by hand or in a stand mixer using a dough hook. Dust with a little extra flour if the dough is sticky.
Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces, roll into buns and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave the buns in a warm place to rise for 2 hours until springy to the touch.
Preheat the oven to 220°C. To make the crosses, mix the flour with 3 tablespoons of cold water to make a thick paste, transfer it to a piping bag and pipe across the length and width of each bun to form a cross. Bake the buns for 25-30 minutes.
For the glaze, gently heat the sugar and 3 tablespoons of water together in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the cooked buns to a wire cooling rack and brush with the glaze; leave to cool.
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2013 Meeta K. Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | If you are interested in using my texts or photographs please contact me | You may not use my work for commercial purposes without my permission | You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work in any form | Please Ask First