Chocolate chip hot cross buns
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Chocolate chip hot cross buns

By Barney Desmazery

Kids can help make these alternative spiced Easter buns – the recipe helps with kneading, shaping, piping and division skills

  • Prep:40 mins
    Cook:20 mins
    plus proving
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 328
  • fat 8g
  • saturates 4g
  • carbs 52g
  • sugars 11g
  • fibre 3g
  • protein 10g
  • salt 0.7g

Ingredients

  • 400g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
  • 50g golden caster sugar, plus 1 tsp
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 250ml warm milk
  • 1 medium egg, beaten
  • 50g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
  • 100g chocolate chips (milk or dark, whichever you prefer), or currants or raisins
  • 50g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam

Method

  1. KIDS the writing in bold is for you ADULTS the rest is for you. Mix the bun ingredients. Put the strong flour, yeast, caster sugar and 1 tsp salt in a bowl with the spices and mix. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk, egg and butter. Start mixing with a plastic or wooden spoon and finish with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add warm water, or extra flour if it’s wet.

  2. Now stretch the dough – this is called kneading. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 mins until it becomes smooth and springy. This will be a bit too much work for children, so get them to start the kneading, then when they get tired, take over.

  3. Leave the dough to rise until doubled in size because of the yeast. Transfer to a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until roughly doubled in size – this will take about 1 hr depending on how warm the room is.

  4. Add the chocolate chips and do some division. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten. Scatter over the chocolate chips (or dried fruit), and knead the dough a few more times. Divide it into 8 even portions – halve the dough, then halve each portion twice more, and explain the maths.

  5. Roll the dough into buns. Roll each portion into a smooth round and place on a greased baking sheet in 2 rows of 4, leaving some room between each bun for it to rise. Cover with a tea towel again and leave in a warm place to prove for 20 mins, until almost doubled in size again or just touching.

  6. Make the crosses on the buns and bake them. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the plain flour with 1 tsp sugar and 4-5 tbsp water to give you a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe white lines on the buns to make crosses. Bake for 20 mins until they are light brown.

  7. Brush them with jam if you want them to be nice and shiny. If you want to enjoy the buns untoasted, gently heat the jam in a pan or the microwave, and brush over the buns using a pastry brush. If you are going to toast them, then don’t glaze them as the jam will burn.

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