So I have a confession to make.
I wasn’t going to share a hot cross bun recipe with you this year.
I made you some Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns (my faves!) last Easter.
This year, I was going to make you something a little different (and I’m working on it, so if all goes to plan, you’ll be getting those tomorrow).
Anyway, so I wasn’t going to share another hot cross bun recipe with you. But then I baked some at work.
They were traditionally spiced sultana, orange and white chocolate chip hot cross buns. They were hot, sticky, yummy, and sold out straight away.
I felt that I just had to come home and make some to put on the blog for you.
But when I got home I realised I had no white chocolate chips. And no oranges. And I was feeling pretty lazy after a long, busy day.
So the pantry got raided, and these coffee, chocolate chip, coconut hot cross buns were born.
They weren’t supposed to be double chocolate chip buns either. But it was a hot night and all the milk chocolate I had chopped into chunks was already soft. By the time it got kneaded into the dough, the chunks were non-existent. They had melted right in. So I quickly mixed in some actual dark chocolate chips, watching they didn’t melt too, and this was the result.
It’s always amazing when a baking fail turns into a huge baking win.
I hope you enjoy these accidental hot cross buns!
Have a great long weekend, and keep a look out for another exciting recipe I’ll hopefully get to you tomorrow.
- For the buns:
- 1 tbsp instant dry yeast
- ½ cup sugar
- 1½ cups lukewarm milk
- 4½ cups plain flour
- 50g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup finely ground instant coffee
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cups chopped milk chocolate, melted
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
- 2 cups dark chocolate chips
- For the glaze:
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 tbsp hot water
- For the crosses:
- 60g white chocolate (2 oz)
- To make the buns, combine the lukewarm milk, sugar and dry yeast in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. It should become frothy and increase in size. This indicates that the yeast is active.
- Put all the remaining ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture. Fit your mixer with the dough hook (if you don't have one, you can easily make these by hand).
- Turn the mixer on low until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 - 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place it in a large bowl (not metal), cover with plastic wrap and set aside in warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
- Grease and line an 8 x 8 inch pan with baking paper.
- Once the dough has risen, divide it equally into 12 balls. Shape them tightly and place them close together, 3 x 4 in the baking pan.
- Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Cover the hot cross buns with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. While the buns are baking, prepare your glaze.
- For the glaze, dissolve the sugar in the hot water.
- Once the buns are cooked, remove them from the oven and quickly brush them with a few coats of the glaze.
- To make the crosses, melt the white chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. Put the chocolate into a small zip loc bag or piping bag, snip off the end and pipe crosses across the chocolate chip buns.
- Serve warm. Makes 12 hot cross buns.
- Happy baking!
- NOTE: I made a half batch in the above photos 🙂