Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns With Orange Honey Butter

These Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns make a great Easter dessert or Breakfast! I thought I loved regular hot cross buns, but these Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns With Orange Honey Butter take this Easter favourite to a whole new level.

Prep Time: 3 hrs 3 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Total Time: 3 hrs 23 mins

---

---

Ingredients

Buns:

• 450 g strong bread flour
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 100 g caster or fine granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 tsp instant dried yeast (7g sachet)
• 300 ml full-fat milk
• 50 g unsalted butter
• zest of 1 large orange
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/2 tsp orange extract
• 130 g juicy raisins
• 50 g finely diced candied citrus peel
• 110 g milk chocolate chips
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp plain/all purpose flour for kneading

For the crosses:

• 3 heaped tbsp plain/all purpose flour
• 5 tbsp cold water

For the glaze:

• 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp honey

For the orange honey butter:

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter very soft
• 3 tbsp honey used orange blossom honey if you can find it
• zest of 1 orange
• 2 tbsp finely diced candied citrus peeled

Instructions

1. In a large bowl add the flour, cocoa powder and sugar, then on one side of the bowl add the salt, and add the yeast to the other side (yeast doesn’t like direct contact with salt). Set aside.
2. In a jug, add the milk, butter and orange zest, and heat in the microwave, or a pan, until the butter has melted and the liquid is hot, but not so hot it would burn you. Add the liquid to the flour mixture, then give it a stir with a wooden spoon and add in the egg. Give it all a good mix with your hands and then tip out onto a lightly oiled surface and knead for about 5 or 6 minutes. Alternativley, you can use the dough hook on a food mixer and mix for 5-6 minutes.
3. Gather the dough into a ball and place in a bowl that’s been lightly greased with olive or vegetable oil. Cover with clingfilm and leave to prove in a warm room for an hour.
4. After the hour is up, add the raisins, citrus peel, chocolate chips and cinnamon. Mix with your hands, then tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything in for a minute or two until it’s fully mixed together. Place back in the bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to prove for another hour.
5. Tip the dough out on a lightly floured surface and divide into 15 equal (ish) pieces. You can do this by eye, or you can weigh the dough and divide by 15 – weighing each piece and adjusting as you cut it. Shape each piece into a ball and arrange on a tray that’s been covered with a piece of baking parchment. You can arrange into lines, or if you want to do it in a circle like I did, place an oven-proof small bowl (such as a ramekin) in the middle of your tray, and arrange the balls around the outside. Try to ensure the balls are around a centimetre apart (They’ll start to join up with the final prove and also during baking). Place the baking try inside a carrier bag and leave to prove for one final hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 200c/400f. Make up the paste for the crosses. In a bowl, mix the flour with about 5 tbsps of cold water using a fork. You’re looking for paste about the consistency of wallpaper paste, so may need to add a bit more flour or water. Spoon into a piping bag with a small round nozzle (or a plastic sandwich bag with a tiny hole in the corner) and draw the crosses on the buns.
7. Place in the oven and cook for 20 mins.
8. Take out of the oven, then glaze whilst still hot (this helps to ensure the buns stay soft on top). Mix together the melted butter and honey, then spread all over the tops and sides of the buns with a pastry brush.
9. Once the buns are cool, remove the bowl in the centre. Carefully (I use a large spatula, plus some help from Chris!) transfer the buns to a large plate.
10. Made the orange honey butter, by mixing the butter, 2 tbsp of honey and the orange zest together. Place in a small bowl and top with the candied peel and the rest of the honey. Place the bowl in the middle of the hot cross bun ring before serving.

Recipe Notes

Leftover hot cross buns can be stored in an airtight contained at room temperature for 2-3 days.You can also freeze the buns, then defrost before serving (serve cold, toasted, or even microwave them for a few seconds if you’d like them warm).