Chocolate Choc-Chip Hot Cross Buns

Whisk yeast, sugar and warm milk together in a bowl and set aside for 10minutes or until frothy/bubbles form on top.

While this sits aside,combine flour, cocoa powder, spices, sugar, chocolate dropsand a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk the cold milk, egg and butter into the yeast mix you set aside earlier.

Make a well into the dry ingredients and gently pour in the yeast liquid and fold in to combine.

Work dough together in bowl with hands then turn out onto lightly floured surface.

Kneed for 10-15 mins then place in a clean, greased bowl and cover with plastic cling wrap.

Set this aside for 90mins until risen to double the size.

Uncover and punch down with your fist in the center then turn out onto a lightly floured surface again.

Knead for 2 minutes then separate into 12 equal parts (I find it easy to divide into half and half again to get 1/4s. Then I broke each quarter into 3)

Line slow cooker with non stick baking paper and place each bun side by side on the paper with a small gap between each one.

Cover with a clean tea towel and place insert in a warm place for 30mins to rise again to up to double size.

If you are taking the *option* to add the chocolate crosses on the buns now is the time to do that.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave thenworking fast, pour into a plastic bag or piping bag. If using a plastic bag snip a small hole in one corner and squeeze out to pipe. Pipe a cross on each bun top

When you have piped your crosses onto your buns, place insert back into slow cooker, turn onto HIGH, cover slow cooker with teatowelunder thelid and cook on high for 1hr.

Buns are done with skewer comes out clean, bottom is nicely browned and you can see the bun has a lovely soft bread consistency when torn.

Use the baking paper to lift up your hot cross buns out of your slow cooker and place them on a wire wrack to cool.

If you are taking the *option* to glaze your buns this is the next step.

On a stove top combine water and caster sugar.

Bring to the boil stirring and allow to boil for 5mins stirring continuously.

Use a pastry brush to brush this glaze onto your cooling hot cross buns for that lovely sticky sweet finish to this Easter treat

View regular Hot Cross Bun recipe HERE