Have it all this Easter with a hot cross bunny chow

THERE is one thing I can never resist and that’s hot cross buns…soft and fresh, or toasted and crunchy – as long as there’s a dangerous amount of butter on them.

This Easter, Pick n Pay has come up with a new idea: the hot cross bunny chow. Using the traditional South African dish as an inspiration, the bread is substituted by a hot cross loaf and instead of curry, it’s filled with chocolate ganache and Easter eggs. Here’s the recipe, which they say serves eight but that’s really only a suggestion. Allow about two hours of preparation time, and about five minutes to eat it.

INGREDIENTS

Loaf
– 100 grams soft butter

– 250ml milk, warmed

– 765 grams flour

– 80ml preserved citrus peel

– 50 grams sugar

– 60ml seedless raisins

– 10ml cinnamon

– 5ml mixed spice

– 8ml yeast

– 5ml salt

– 2 eggs

Crosses
– 125ml icing sugar

– 30ml water

Ganache
– 2 slabs milk chocolate (160g)

– 125ml cream

For serving:
– 125ml cream, whipped

– 1 handful assorted Easter eggs, crushed

METHOD
Melt butter in milk and leave to cool to room temperature.
Mix flour, citrus peel, sugar, raisins, spices, yeast and salt.
Make a well in the middle and add butter and milk mixture and eggs.
Mix well and bring together to form a wet but pliable dough.
Knead well for 10 minutes. Cover and set aside to double in size.
Preheat oven to 180°C and grease and flour 8 shallow cans.
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape into balls and push to bottom of cans. Set aside to double in size.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and leave to cool.
Mix icing sugar with just enough water to make a thick paste. Pipe on each hot cross bun.
Melt chocolate with cream over a bain-marie until combined.
To serve, cut the tops off, hollow out the bottoms and fill with ganache and whipped cream, and garnish with crushed Easter eggs.