Hot Cross Buns Recipe with Dark Chocolate & Dried Cherries

“Mum, we’re going to have Hot Cross Buns for Easter, right?” My boys are guardians of all our family traditions, making sure I don’t miss a single detail as each holiday rolls around. Two years ago, I posted my traditional recipe for traditional hot cross buns – soft, yeasty bread studded with currants. While those are the ones I will likely serve this Sunday, I thought it would be fun to change things up a little. In this I replaced some of the all-purpose flour with fiber-rich whole wheat flour, and switched out the currants in favor of dark chocolate and dried cherries.

These buns, served on Good Friday and Easter, are steeped in tradition and I thought the lore behind them was them was worth printing here a second time. Here’s what I wrote two years ago:

In all these years, I have never stopped to think about the story behind hot cross buns. Of course, the cross on top of the buns symbolizes the crucifixion. That part I get. I did not know, however, that the Protestant leaders of England tried to ban the sale of these buns because they were seen as a dangerous symbol of Catholic beliefs. Queen Elizabeth I eventually made a law that bakeries could sell the sweet, currant-filled buns, but only at Easter and on Christmas.

Beyond the religious significance, hot cross buns are rich in folklore. Eating one is a symbol of friendship for the coming year when shared with another. Sailors would often bring the buns aboard to guard against shipwrecks and hanging a hot cross bun in the kitchen would help protect against fires and would guarantee that all breads baked in the kitchen would turn out well. Who knew?!

The dark chocolate and dried cherries both offer well-documented health benefits, while the addition of whole wheat flour provides a dose of fiber in these sweet buns. Additionally, I replaced the sugar in the original recipe with agave nectar. Honey would also work well. Yes, there’s still a dose of butter in these, but it works out to 1/2 tablespoon for each bun. Hey, it’s a holiday. Live a little.

What did my kids think? Well, they’re hoping I’m going to make a pan of each kind for our Easter breakfast. They were a hit.

Don’t forget to link up your healthy recipe and living posts, and enter the BIG OXO giveaway on this post.

The recipe:

In a medium bowl, melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in the microwave. Let cool.

Pour low-fat buttermilk into a small saucepan. Heat to approximately 110 degrees F. Pour into a large liquid measuring cup. Stir yeast and 1 tablespoon agave nectar into the buttermilk.

Let the mixture sit until foamy bubbles appear on the surface of the buttermilk, about 10 minutes. Whisk in eggs, the cooled melted butter and remaining 3 tablespoons agave nectar.

The next part can be done with a stand-mixer equipped with a dough hook or by hand. In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.

Add the buttermilk mixture.

Mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients form into a dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding flour by 1 tablespoon at a time if dough is sticky, until dough is smooth and elastic.

Punch a whole in the center of the dough, and add chocolate and dried cherries.

Knead the chocolate and dried cherries into the dough until they are evenly dispersed. Place the dough into a bowl coated with cooking spray.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place until the dough doubles in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 12 pieces. With the palm of your hand, roll each ball to form a ball. Coat a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place the 12 balls of dough into the pan. Wrap tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the rolls double in size and are pressed against each other.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the middle position.

Using a small, sharp knife, cut a 1/4-inch deep X through the top of each bun.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg mixture.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the buns are puffed and golden brown. Sit the pan on a cooling rack and let the buns cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Using a small spoon, drizzle the glaze over top of the buns in an X, in the grooves on the buns. Serve warm or cool to room temperature.

Make ahead:
Once you place the balls of dough in the baking pan, do not let the dough rise. Instead, store in the refrigerator overnight, up to 16 hours. Before baking, let the buns sit at room temperature until they double in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Other Easter breads:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Traditional Hot Cross Buns
Sprinkle Bakes’ Croatian Easter Bread Dolls
Citrus and Candy’s Gubana: Sweet Italian Easter Bread
JoCooks’ Braided Easter Bread
Mushitza’s Kulich – Russian Easter Bread

Tagged as: Bread, breakfast, chocolate, dried cherries, Easter, holiday, hot cross buns, recipe, whole wheat