Hot Lovers Buns

Ever since I developed Lovers Brew I have been wanting to add it to a hot cross bun recipe. The cinnamon flavour just lend themselves so well to the hot cross bun thang. So on this very rare Sunday with nothing to do (aside from mountains of chores, but let’s be honest, a tidy house is a sign of a wasted life ) I had a crack and they are delicious.

They have a decent tablespoon of Lovers Brew in them and it makes about 12 buns. You could definitely add more if you are really looking to upset the neighbours. I swapped out the traditional currants for chocolate chips because hey- I'm an adult and I have a chocolate deficiency and chocolate contains magnesium and stuff and no one likes currants anyway.

I used a recipe from Taste magazine as the base as I always find their recipes are super user friendly, even for a baking dummy like me.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups plain flour

• 2 x 8g sachets dried yeast

• 1/4 cup caster sugar

• 1 teaspoons mixed spice

• 1 tablespoon Misty Day Lovers Brew

• pinch of salt

• 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

• 40g butter or coconut oil

• 300ml of your choice of milk

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

FLOUR PASTE

• 1/2 cup plain flour

• 4 to 5 tablespoons water

GLAZE

• 1/3 cup water

• 2 tablespoons caster sugar

METHOD

Step 1

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, mixed spice, salt and chocolate in a large bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add milk. Heat for 1 minute, or until lukewarm. Add warm milk mixture and eggs to chocolate mixture. Use a flat-bladed knife to mix until dough almost comes together. Use clean hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough.

Step 2

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth. Place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in size.

Step 3

Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Punch dough down to its original size. Knead for 30 seconds on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 12 even portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Place balls onto lined tray, about 1cm apart. Cover with a teatowel. Set aside in a warm, spot for 30 minutes, or until buns double in size. Preheat oven to 190°C or 170˚C fan-force.

Step 4

Make flour paste: Mix flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth, adding a little more water if paste is too thick. Spoon into a small snap-lock bag. Snip off 1 corner of bag. Pipe flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until buns are cooked through.

Step 5

Make glaze: Place water and sugar into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Brush warm glaze over warm hot buns. Serve warm or at room temperature.