chocolate hot cross buns

makes 12 buns
1 1/2 cups warm milk
2 8gram packages of dried yeast (4 3/4 tsp)
pinch of salt
5 cups plain flour
1 tbs cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 stick butter , melted (60 grams)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup water
icing
Combine milk, yeast, and a pinch of sugar in a bowl. Whisk together until combined. Cover with plasic. Put in a warm place for 5 - 10 minutes (or until the top becomes frothy) to activate the yeast. Sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon, together in a large bowl. Add 2 tbs sugar (the remainder of sugar will be used in the glaze), salt, yeast mixture, butter, and egg. Stir until dough almost comes together. Mix to a soft dough with your hands. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until dough is smooth. Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place for 1 1/2 hrs or until the dough doubles in size. Punch down the dough with your fist. Add chocolate chips and knead until well combined. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll into balls. Place them into a 9x13" pan about 1 cm apart. Cover the buns back up with plastic wrap and put them in a warm place for 30 min or until they double in size. Preheat your oven to 400* F and bake for 20 min or until toothpick inserted into the center of the bun comes out clean. While the buns are cooking make the glaze. Heat the water and 2 tbs sugar in a small sauce pan over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Brush the warm glaze over the warm buns. 

To make the crosses: 

(you can use melted baking chocolate or nutella to make crosses but i prefer a cream cheese icing.)

3 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 tsp milk
Mix cream cheese and sugar. Slowly mix in milk. Pipe on to cooled buns. Serve buns warm with butter or nutella. These are best eaten the day you make them. They do tend to go stale quickly. If you have any left over check out this recipe for chocolate hot cross bun & butter pudding. It is an Australian recipe but I have listed the conversions below : 30 grams of butter = 2 tbs 125 grams chocolate = 4.4oz 600 ml = 2 1/2 cups 170 grams caster sugar = 3/4 cup super fine sugar (you can make this by pulverizing some granulated sugar in a food processor for a couple of minutes) 170* C = 338* F I wanted to make it this year but I didn't have any left over buns. Next year I will make a double batch just so I can make this pudding.