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Celebrate Easter in style with these heavenly Double Chocolate and Orange Hot Cross Buns! Packed with zesty orange, chocolate chunks and soft apricots! #veganeaster #easterrecipes #veganchocolate #veganbaking #hotcrossbuns | Recipe on thecookandhim.com

Double Chocolate and Orange Hot Cross Buns

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 25 mins | Total: 55 mins | Quantity: 12 buns

Ingredients

Buns:

  • 1 + 1/2 cups (300ml) unsweetened dairy free milk of choice
  • 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
  • 2 + 1/4 tsp (7g sachet) dried active yeast
  • 3 + 1/2 cups (500g) strong white bread flour
  • 1/4 cup (50g) vegan butter
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons nugmeg
  • 1 tsp all-spice
  • 1 orange – grated zest only
  • 1/4 cup (25g) cacao powder
  • 1/2 cup (150g) dried apricots – roughly chopped
  • 80g bar vegan orange flavoured dark chocolate – finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup for glazing

Crosses:

  • 3 tblsp plain flour
  • 2-3 tblsp cold water

Instructions

  1. Gently warm the milk and sugar to just tepid - in a saucepan or microwave. Whisk in the yeast, cover and set aside
  2. Put the flour into a large bowl and rub in the vegan butter using your fingertips until no lumps of butter remain
  3. Stir in the spices, orange zest and cacao powder
  4. When the top of the milk mixture is frothy, pout it into the dry ingredients then stir together till it starts to form a dough
  5. Tip out onto a floured work surface and knead for around 5-10 minutes until it's soft and elastic
  6. Knead in the chopped chocolate and apricots until they're well distributed throughout the dough
  7. Put into a large lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove somewhere warm until doubled in size
  8. Divide the dough roughly into 12 equal sized balls and use your hands to roll/shape them into buns
  9. Put onto a large tray lined with parchment.  The rolls are going to rise again so you'll want to space them not too close together to allow room to expand.  Use 2 trays if you don't have one large enough
  10. Again leave in a warm place until well risen
  11. Just before they're ready to be baked, preheat your oven to 180 Fan / 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6.  Prepare your crosses - whisk together the flour and water to a thick but fluid paste - too thin and it will just run off the top of your buns, too thick and you won't be able to pipe it!  This part is a bit trial and error - different flours have different absorbency qualities so add more flour or water to get the right consistency
  12. Put the paste into a piping bag - or a sturdy sandwich bag which you'll then snip the corner off
  13. Pipe crosses of paste over the tops of each bun
  14. Put the tray(s) in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  To check if they're cooked, carefully lift one of the hot buns and tap the bottom - it should make a hollow sound
  15. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with maple syrup to glaze the buns
  16. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
  17. To serve, split in half and toast under a hot grill

Notes

  • These buns freeze really well!  Just put into a lidded container (the sticky top will stick to a freezer bag!) and defrost thoroughly before using

Recipe by The Cook & Him at https://thecookandhim.com/recipes/double-chocolate-and-orange-hot-cross-buns/