Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

When I looked at the recipe of this Easter buns, I was expecting some choc chip kind of buns.  However,   the cooking chocolate melted with the dough all together in the bread machine to form this rich chocolate buns.  I had these with lots of nutella for breakfast.  Who would complain too much chocolate for Easter and it is not too bad for my first trial of Easter buns!

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns


1 1/2 cups warm milk
2 teaspoons dried yeast
60g butter, melted
1 egg
1 heap teaspoon coffee powder mixed with 1 teaspoon hot water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 cup bread flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
180g dark cooking chocolate, chopped

For the crosses:
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 water
1 teaspoon sugar

For the glaze:
2 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon gelatine

Method:

1. Combine milk , yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in bowl, leave for 10 minutes till frothy.
2. Put the liquid ingredients (milk mixture, butter, egg, coffee mixture) into the bread machine followed by the dry ingredients (remaining sugar, salt, flour, cocoa).  Press the dough cycle button.
3. Add dark cooking chocolate into the bread machine after 10 minutes.
4. When the cycle is completed, divide dough into 16 balls.  Place them close together onto a paper lined baking tray.  
5. Mix the plain flour, water and sugar together and pipe the crosses over the dough.  Or in my case, add more flour to form a pastry dough and lay the crosses over the dough.  Leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 200c. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce to 180c and bake a further 20 minutes or until the bread sound hallow when tap on top.
7. Brush the glaze over the hot buns immediately.  Serve the buns with nutella spread.

Source: adopted and modified from the recipe of hot cross buns from taste.com.au