Espresso Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients
For the buns:
  • 1 tbsp instant dry yeast
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1½ cups lukewarm milk
  • 4½ cups plain flour
  • 50g unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup karajoz espresso 
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1½ cups chopped milk chocolate, melted
  • ½ cup desiccated coconut
  • 2 cups dark chocolate chips
For the glaze:
  • 30g brown sugar
  • 40g hot Karajoz Coffee
For the crosses:
  • 60g white chocolate (2 oz)
Method
  1. To make the buns, combine the lukewarm milk, sugar and dry yeast in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. It should become frothy and increase in size. This indicates that the yeast is active.
  2. Put all the remaining ingredients in the bowl. Add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  3. Place it in a large bowl (not metal), cover with plastic wrap and set aside in warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
  4. Grease and line an 8 x 8 inch pan with baking paper.
  5. Once the dough has risen, divide it equally into 12 balls. Shape them tightly and place them close together, 3 x 4 in the baking pan.
  6. Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Cover the hot cross buns with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 30 minutes.
  7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. While the buns are baking, prepare your glaze.
  8. For the glaze, dissolve the sugar in the coffee.
  9. Once the buns are cooked, remove them from the oven and quickly brush them with a few coats of the glaze.
  10. To make the crosses, melt the white chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. Put the chocolate into a small zip loc bag or piping bag, snip off the end and pipe crosses across the chocolate chip buns.
  11. Serve warm. Makes 12 hot cross buns.

Happy Easter!