Chocolate Hot-Cross Buns

Combine the yeast, sugar and milk in a small bowl and mix until there are no lumps.

Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes until foamy.

Sift together the flour and 1 1/2 Tbsp cacao powder in a large mixing bowl.

Add the cacao nibs and stir well to coat with the flour.

Add the ghee, egg, honey and yeast mixture and mix well to a soft dough.

Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface dusted with extra flour and shape into a long sausage.

Cut the sausage into 12-16 pieces.

Shape each piece into a bun and place on a lined baking tray.

Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 15-20 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven at 220oC for 25-30 minutes until golden.

As soon as the buns are ready, combine the glaze ingredients in a small pot and gently heat until the sugar and gelatin melt.

Brush the hot glaze onto the hot buns.

Cool the buns on a wire rack.

Place the cacao butter and rice malt syrup into a small pot and melt over very low heat.

Whisk in the cacao powder, vanilla and salt until smooth.

Place into a piping bag (or use a plastic sandwich bag with one corner cut off) and pipe crosses onto the buns. Be careful as it is hot. If it is too hot, allow it to cool for a few minutes until you can hold it without burning yourself.

Notes:

If it is a cold day, and you don’t have anywhere warm to sit the yeast and the dough, place them on the top shelf of a cold oven, with a bowl of boiling water in the bottom of the oven and close the oven door. This will provide a warm, but not hot environment to activate the yeast.