29 March 2013

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▼ 2013�����▼ March����

Chocolate Chip HotCross Buns

Fig, Plum andWhippedMascarpone Stack

Larb Gai - ThaiChicken Salad

Raspberry & LimeFluff Meringue Pie -Blogiversary...

Tuna Risotto Pie► February����► January����

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So, apparently it's Easter this weekend.

How the heck did that spring up on us all so quickly? I had been planning to make hot cross buns for a few weeks and thought

I had plenty of time... then BAM Easter is arriving and I realised I better get my skates on.

Lucky for me just as I was thinking I should start researching hot cross bun recipes, I was contacted by Wasamedia to see if I

would be interested in joining a group of bloggers at Sweet Street (formerly Short Sweet) a French inspired patisserie for a hot

cross bun making demonstration by owner and acclaimed chef Leanne Beck last weekend.

Leanne was invited to open Sweet Street in Parramatta (Church Street mall) with the backing of the local council in an effort to

bring more local businesses to the area. With a great creative flair, Leanne has created a patisserie with a Surry Hills-esque

cafe vibe for a fraction of money the Surry Hills hipsters spend - and she is proud of it!

With a devil may care attitude, a great affinity with the local people, and a fiery personality, Leanne fits into the local scene

perfectly and its hard not to respect her.

Leanne's hot cross buns seem to sell out pretty early on a daly basis, so I was looking forward to learning her technique. She

talked us through the steps as she worked in her makeshift kitchen (they are building a new one a few doors down) and

seems to work with a very relaxed vibe (my kind of chef).

I loved all the spices she put in her hot cross buns and immediately knew that this was a recipe I'd have to recreate.

► January����► 2012�����► 2011����

While we were waiting for the dough to rise, we got to taste a selection of Sweet Street's treats (say that 10 times fast) and

what surprised me the most was the sheer variety of sweet and savoury items on offer - they definitely work hard at Sweet

Street.

After a sweet overload (do yourself a favour and try the Lime Cheesecake - it's amazing!) we then watched as Leanne then

finished off the buns and each got a couple of them to take home.

After coming home from Sweet Street I was inspired to have a crack at my own version of Leanne's wonderfully spicy buns.

Now, I know purists will have a problem with this... but I was determined to make mine without the dried fruit. You see, Scotty

isn't a lover of dried fruit so why should he have to miss out on these wonderful Easter treats (also, I'll tolerate dried fruit but

I'm not really a lover). Leanne had told me that she thought it was totally fine to modify her recipe to make a chocolate version

- so there!

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Makes 20

Adapted from a recipe by Leanne Beck

BUNS

1100g bakers flour (or 00 flour)

15g ground ginger

45g ground cinnamon

15g mixed spice

20g salt

4 teaspoons dried yeast

200g chocolate chips

175g melted butter

500g water

TOPPING

125g flour

125g milk

15ml oil

Pinch salt

GLAZE

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons caster sugar

BUNS

Place flour, ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice, salt, chocolate chips and yeast in a mixing bowl with a dough hook or paddle

attachment. Add melted butter to bowl. Turn the machine on to mix on the lowest speed. Slowly add water whilst the machine

is still mixing.

Remove mixture from bowl and place in a large bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Once covered place bowl in a warm

Remove mixture from bowl and place in a large bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Once covered place bowl in a warm

dry place till mixture has doubled in size. After mixture has doubled in size, cut off pieces and weigh out to 120 grams. Once

mixture is all weighed out, roll each piece into balls and place onto a lined baking tray leaving only approximately 1.5cm space

between each ball. Lay a damp towel on top of the balls and place in a warm dry place till once again doubled in size.

TOPPING

To make topping place all of the flour, milk, oil and salt in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment and mix till combined. Place

topping mixture into a piping bag with a round nozzle of your desired size.

Once buns have doubled in size pipe the topping onto the buns, pipe long lines from one bun to another connecting them

together. Once piped both the horizontal and the vertical lines, place the hot cross buns in the oven.

The hot cross buns will take about 30 minutes in the oven and will be cooked when once tapping the bottom you can hear a

hollow sound. Remove from oven and set aside.

GLAZE

Place water and caster sugar into a pot on medium high heat and stir until sugar has melted. Bring to the boil and then boil for

5 minutes. Remove from heat and using a pastry brush, brush the glaze onto the cooked buns.

Enjoy warm with melted butter.