Cranberry & Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Serves Makes 12 buns

Ingredients

1 orange, zest and juice
100g dried cranberries
300ml milk
500g strong bread flour
2 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp salt
50g Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter
75g caster sugar
7g sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast
1 egg, beaten
100g dark chocolate chips
For the liquid cross:
50g flour
1 tablespoon melted Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter
4-5 tablespoons cold water
Honey or golden syrup, for brushing

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Directions

A decadent twist on the classic hot cross bun recipe made with juicy cranberries and dark chocolate. Serve warm and smothered with Kerrygold for the ultimate Easter treat.

Soak the cranberries in juice of orange and warm the milk a little. Put the flour, spice, salt and butter into a food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, orange zest and yeast and pulse again to combine.
Empty the mixture into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the milk and egg to the flour bowl and stir quickly to make a soft dough.
Leave in a warm place, covered with a clean cloth for 1.5hrs or until double in size. Drain your cranberries.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead in the cranberries and chocolate. Return the dough to the bowl, recover and leave to rise again for 30min. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and preheat the oven to 220ºC.
Turn the dough out again onto the work surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Place spaced a little apart on the baking tray cover and leave to prove a little more while you make the cross topping. Put the flour into a small bowl and mix in butter and water to reach a smooth, pipeable consistency. Add to a piping bag and pipe a cross on top of each bun. Brush each bun with a little warmed honey or golden syrup.
Bake at 220ºC for 10 – 15 minutes or until nicely browned.