#Whisky Chocolate Apricot and Almond Hot Cross Buns | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

askwhatsforlunch · 3 years

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Whisky Chocolate Apricot and Almond Hot Cross Buns

Each year, it seems, my hot cross buns become a tad more decadent and I continue to surprise my ex -to whom I’d said I’d never eat anything with raisins and sultanas in it (although I actually haven’t put raisins or sultanas in my buns in a long while); but she sill bakes a batch, following my recipes each year, whilst her nan makes the classics, so she’s not mad! This year’s batch, these beautifully fluffy Whisky Chocolate Apricot and Almond have nuts and chocolate in them, and whisky soaked apricots! Have an excellent Good Friday, mates!

Ingredients (makes a dozen):

8 soft dried apricots

1/4 cup almonds

¼ cup good quality whisky (like Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte)

1 ¼ cup milk

28 grams/1 ounce unsalted butter

¾ teaspoon Whisky Vanilla Extract

3 ¾ cups strong white flour (or bread flour)

¼ cup demerara sugar

¼ cup caster sugar

1 tablespoon yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon Dutch unsweetened cocoa

55 grams/2 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

1 large egg, lightly beaten

70 grams/2.5 ounces good quality dark chocolate

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

a bit of water

1 tablespoon good quality whisky (like Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte)

1 heaped tablespoon heather honey

The evening before, place dried apricots and almonds in a clean jar. Pour Port Charlotte Whisky over the dried fruit and nuts, and seal the jar. Shake the jar energetically, and leave to soak overnight.

The following morning, drain the dry fruit and nuts thoroughly, saving the soaking whisky (of which you should have at least a tablespoon) for the glaze. Chop soaked apricots and almonds. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, butter and Vanilla Extract, and heat over a low flame, until just simmering. Remove from heat and let cool, ever so slightly.

In a large bowl, combine strong white flour, demerara sugar, caster sugar, yeast and salt, making sure the last two don’t touch at that stage. Add cinnamon and cocoa powder. Give a good stir. Add butter, and rub into the flour mixture, until it resembles coarse meal. Dig a well in the middle, and add the egg. Add half of the warm milk mixture, mixing ingredients together; Gradually add the rest of the milk as you might not need all of it. You should get a sticky soft dough.

Tip dough out on a lightly floured surface, and add apricots and almonds. Knead them into the dough, for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Return dough to the bowl, cover with cling film, and prove, 1 hour and a half to two hours, or until doubled in size.

Roughly chop dark chocolate into small chunks.

Tip dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead in dark chocolate chunks, a good 5 minutes, stretching the dough and folding it on itself before turning it and repeating, before returning to the bowl. Cover with cling film, and let dough rise a second time, about an hour to an hour and a half .

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Again, tip dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 portions. Roll each portion into a ball, and arrange 12 balls on prepared baking tray, leaving a bit of room between the to allow them to grow and join. Prove one last time, for an hour, until buns are joining.

Preheat oven to 215°C/415°F.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour and water, until you have a smooth paste. Spoon mixture in a small piping bag and pipe a regular horizontal line on each row of buns. Repeat process vertically. Place in the oven, and bake at 215°C/415°F, for 25 minutes.

Warm reserved soaking whisky with more whisky and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat, until it just becomes syrup-y.

Once baked, remove Whisky Chocolate Apricot and Almond Hot Cross Buns from the oven, and brush immediately with the warm Honey and Whisky syrup to give them a nice glaze. Leave hot cross buns to cool as long as you can, before enjoying slathered with butter and a nice cuppa!

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