Baking
Cranberry & Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Serves 12
Ingredients
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 100g dried cranberries
- 300ml milk
- 500g strong bread flour
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1/2 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 tbsp melted Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter
- 4-5 tbsp cold water
- Honey or golden syrup, for brushing
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.
