Recipe Ingredients

• 300ml Milk
• 400g strong white bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 50g cocoa powder
• 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 large free range egg (beaten)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 100g raisins (optional)
• 100g Lily O’Brien’s Milk Chocolate Drops (chopped)
• 75g plain flour

Recipe Method

1. To make the dough, warm 275ml of the milk in bowl in the microwave for 1 minute on high.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the bread flour, cocoa powder, dried yeast, caster sugar and ground cinnamon together.
3. Then whisk the egg and vanilla extract into the warm milk until combined.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to make a soft dough.
5. Empty the bowl of dough onto a clean work surface and knead with a sprinkle of flour for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
6. Put the dough back in a cleaned mixing bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size, approx. 1 hour.
7. Once risen, turn the dough back out onto a work surface, scatter over the raisins and chopped Milk Chocolate Drops, and knead them all in together.
8. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
9. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.
10. Divide the dough mixture into 12 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball by rolling each section in the palm of your hands or on the work surface.
11. Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheet in a 4 x 3 formation, leaving some room in between each dough ball for rising.
12. Score a cross on the top of each bun with a knife and then cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to prove until the buns have nearly doubled in size.
13. For the crosses, mix the flour with about 5 tbsp. of water until a smooth paste forms.
14. Spoon into a disposable piping bag. (Or a food bag, and simple snip off the tip of the corner to create your own piping bag) and pipe along each score line.
15. Glaze the buns with the remaining 25ml of milk and bake for 15 mins.
16. Then pipe on the crosses where you scored the dough and bake for another 5 minutes more.
17. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.Serve warm and a dash of butter and enjoy!