Marzipan and chocolate hot cross buns

What could make a classic hot cross bun better  – chocolate and marzipan!

Bun ingredients:

  • 360g strong flour
  • 160g spelt flour
  • 40g cacao powder
  • 160ml milk
  • 70ml water
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons of yeast
  • 2 teaspoons of ground mixed spice
  • 100g sugar
  • 50g butter
  • 100g chopped marzipan
  • 50g chocolate chips

Topping ingredients:

  • 75g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 75ml water
  • 4 tablespoons of apricot jam

Method

Start by heating the butter and water until the butter has melted
Take off the heat and add pour the milk in to cool the mixture down
Combine all the dried ingredients (keeping the marzipan and chocolate chips)
Add the egg to the flour, followed by the milk mixture
Bring together and knead on the surface for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic
Leave to rise in a bowl covered with a clean tea towel in a warm room for 90 minutes
Flatten into a large rectangle and top with the marzipan and the chocolate chips, roll up and divide into 12 balls and shape into buns
Leave covered for another hour
Preheat the oven to 220C
Make the paste for the topping by gradually adding the water into the flour and mix throughly, mix in the cinnamon
Pipe on top of the buns in a cross shape and place into the oven
Turn the temperature down to 200C and bake for 25 minutes
In the meantime, gently heat the jam and push through a sieve, keep warm
Take the buns out of the oven and and check that they are cooked by tapping the underside – they should sound hollow
As soon as they come out of the oven, brush them with the jam and leave to cool