Lorna's Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns

This is basically the same recipe as for the "Healthy" Hot Cross buns (posted around here somewhere) but with the addition of the zest of one orange (added when you combine the flours) and the replacement of dried fruit and raisins/sulatanas with 100g chopped chocolate (a mix of white and dark; whatever you prefer) aaaaand a handful of peanut butter chips (Reeses is what i have but there may be other types around). Nomnomnom. Basically add whatever you like; nuts would work too.
I did the standard white cross on top although you could do a white chocolate one to go with the theme.

I don't think i mentioned it on the original post, but both types of buns freeze really well (make sure they're fully cooled first though).

Lorna's "Healthy" Hot Cross Buns

It’s almost Easter and once again we’ve gone a bit Baking Mad! We decided to run a little competition in the club this month – to bake and blog about an Easter themed recipe. The favourite recipe(s), as voted by our club members and a few special guest judges would win a bundle of baking goodies. We’ve also submitted all of these recipes to BakingMad.com, to join their excellent selection of Easter recipes, such as Hot Cross Buns, EasterCakes, Cake Pops and more! 

This is my entry for the Easter competition. I was trying to think of something that wasn't just decorated in an Easter fashion, and this was practically shouted at me from my boyfriend; i think he's a fan of hot cross buns... They're "healthy" because they contain both dried fruit and wholemeal flour. Let's not mention the syrup on top...

Ingredients:
Makes 12

250-300ml warm milk
50g melted butter
250g strong wholemeal bread flour
250g plain flour
7g (one sachet) fast acting dried yeast
1tsp salt
70g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
50g raisins or sultanas
50g dried fruit (apricots, pineapple, orange peel etc. - whatever you like)

cinnamon (the amount is up to your taste - i suggest 2tsp, but others would say just the one)

75g plain flour
1tbsp golden syrup

Method:

Mix the melted butter with the milk, and make sure the mix is only lukewarm (so you don't kill the yeast). Put the flours, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid mix and the beaten egg. Don't pour all of it in; about three quarters first because all flours absorb different amounts of liquid and you dont want it to be too sticky!

Now the thing i do to combine the flour and liquid is to use the wrong end of a spoon and mix - i figure it's a bit like a dough hook on a mixer... Seems to work for me at least! So yes, mix until it's nearly all combined (you may need to add more liquid) then turn it out onto a floured surface and get kneading.

I pop the telly on at this point and just knead away until i've got a nice smooth elastic dough; it'll take between 5 and 15 minutes depending on how quick you are. No rush of course (that's why the telly's on). When you're done, pop the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and put in a nice warm, cozy place for about an hour until doubled in size.

When he's proved (i always think of my dough as a "he", maybe i should see someone about that...), knock him back (i.e knead a bit again to get the air out) and split into 12 equal portions. Put a small handful of the dried fruit and raisins on each portion and squish in (technical term!). Make sure they're relatively well distributed but try not to have too many poking through the top of the dough as they might catch in the oven. Make 12 rolls like this, and then leave them on a tray, covered with oiled cling film in that cozy place again for another hour

Righty, so you're almost there. Preheat the oven to 200C. Now mix about 75g of plain flour with 6tbsp of cold water - mix in about 4tbsp straight away, then half a tbsp at a time, until you have a smooth paste (it needs to be quite thick). Pipe crosses on top of the rolls - i forgot the picture at this point, sorry! You'll need to do it slowly because the mix is rather elastic and you don't want to pull it off as you go along. I used scissors to cut the paste at the ends when i'd finished a row to keep it neat.

Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes or until they're nice and golden and sound hollow when tapped.
When they're done, microwave the golden syrup for about 20 seconds so its nice and runny, and brush on top of the rolls (i used a pastry brush). You could alternatively use jam in the same way. Leave to cool on a cooling rack if you can resist them straight from the oven! They go very well with home made lemon curd, but that's a story for a different post. Here's some with some good ol' butter:


PS - this recipe will also be submitted to http://www.bakingmad.com/ideas/easter-baking  - so keep an eye out for it there! 

Jaymes' Easter Polish Mazurek

It’s almost Easter and once again we’ve gone a bit Baking Mad! We decided to run a little competition in the club this month – to bake and blog about an Easter themed recipe. The favourite recipe(s), as voted by our club members and a few special guest judges would win a bundle of baking goodies. We’ve also submitted all of these recipes to BakingMad.com, to join their excellent selection of Easter recipes, such as Hot Cross Buns, EasterCakes, Cake Pops and more! 

This is my entry for the Easter Bake Competition.

Mazurek is a traditional easter cake originating from Poland. If you like Snickers or Fruit and Nut chocolate: you'll love this Mazurek!

Serves 8 - 10

You'll need:

23cm (9") Spring clip (or loose bottom) tin

For the base:

225g (8oz) Plain Flour

125g (4oz) Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes

3 tbsp Double Cream

1 Egg, beaten

For the Chocolate layer:

2 Egg Whites

166g (6oz) Icing Sugar

33g (1oz) Cocoa Powder

83g (3oz) Ground Almonds

83g (3oz) Raisins

For the Peanut layer:

3-4 tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter, add more or less depending on your taste

For the topping:

200g (7oz) Milk Chocolate

200ml (3.5 floz) Single Cream

To decorate:

Whole Almonds
White decorating icing

To make the base:

Rubbing the butter into the flour

Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°C/Gas 5. Sieve the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter. Beat the cream with the egg and mix in. 


Firmly press the mixture into the base of the greased tin. Bake for 10-20 minutes, until it starts to turn golden. Remove from the oven and allow the base to cool.

Base mixture pressed into the tin

Chocolate layer ready for baking

To make the chocolate layer, reduce the oven's temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Whisk the Egg Whites to soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the Icing Sugar until stiff. Sieve in the Cocoa Powder, add the Ground Almonds and Raisins and gently fold in. Spoon the mixture onto the base and spread level.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the mixture is set. Cool the tin completely.

Beat the Peanut Butter to soften it, before spreading over the chocolate layer. Chill for 30 minutes, or until the Peanut Butter has firmed.

To make the topping, melt the Chocolate and cream together stirring until smooth. Pour straight onto the Peanut Butter layer and gently shake or tap the tin to ensure the topping is level and evenly covering. Chill until the topping is cool and slightly firm.

Decorate with the whole almonds. Arrange the Almonds to form an ear of corn, using the white icing to form a stalk. Leave to set fully before serving.

PS - this recipe will also be submitted to http://www.bakingmad.com/ideas/easter-baking  - so keep an eye out for it there!

Sarah's Easter Magic chocolate cake

It’s almost Easter and once again we’ve gone a bit Baking Mad! We decided to run a little competition in the club this month – to bake and blog about an Easter themed recipe. The favourite recipe(s), as voted by our club members and a few special guest judges would win a bundle of baking goodies. We’ve also submitted all of these recipes to BakingMad.com, to join their excellent selection of Easter recipes, such as Hot Cross Buns, Easter Cakes, Cake Pops and more! 


Sarah’s Easter Magic Chocolate Cake

Here is my submission for the Easter themed competition bake.
Why not delight your family, adults and children alike with
this creative and seriously chocolaty Easter Magic cake!

It comprises of a deep chocolate sponge filled with a rich
white chocolate cream centre, smothered in a dark and milk chocolate ganache,
decorated with cute handmade chocolate figures.

Ingredients for the
cake

175g self-raising flour
50g cocoa
225g golden caster sugar
225g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 tbsp milk

Ingredients for
the filling

125g white chocolate
125ml double cream

Ingredients for
the topping

200g dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
225ml double cream

To decorate – can be brought in or hand-made in
chocolate moulds

Chocolate bunnies, chicks, eggs, mini sugar shell
eggs, basic icing

Method for the cake:

· Preheat your oven to 180 degree c/gas 4
· Grease and line an 18cm (7”) deep cake tin or 2
sponge tins
· Sieve the flour and cocoa together into a bowl
· Beat the butter and the sugar together until
light and fluffy
· Add one egg at a time to the creamed butter and
sugar with a little flour/cocoa mix and beat in between each addition
· Fold in the remainder of the flour and cocoa – being
careful not to “knock” out the air which has been beaten into the mixture
· Pour the mixture into the lined cake tin or 2
tins (make sure both tins weight the same if you are using two)
· Bake in the oven for 30-40 mins, keeping an eye
and not opening the oven whilst baking.
· Leave the cake/s to cool before turning out on a
rack to completely cool.

Method
for the filling:

· Whilst the cake/s cools, melt the white
chocolate and cream together in a bowl over a pan of hot water stirring occasionally
to combine.
· Be careful not to let the chocolate overheat as
it can turn grainy. Once melted, stir gently and leave the cool and thicken
slightly before spreading it onto one of the cakes or one half of the cake.

Method
for the topping:

· Melt the dark and milk chocolate and cream
together in a bowl over a pan of hot water, stirring occasionally to combine.
· Be careful not to let the chocolate overheat as
it can turn grainy. Once melted, stir gently and leave the cool and thicken
slightly before spreading it onto the cake, covering it completely.
· Use a hot pallet knife to smooth off the
surface.

Decorate the top and sides of the cake with chocolate figures which you can make
yourself by melting chocolate and using moulds. You can also add mini “mini
eggs” or a variety of other decorations to finish it off.

PS - this recipe will also be submitted to http://www.bakingmad.com/ideas/easter-baking  - so keep an eye out for it there!