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Hot cross bun brownies

Name: Hot cross bun brownies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Makes 16-25
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 175g salted butter; 80g golden syrup; 280g golden caster sugar; 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; 1 tbsp freshly grated nutmeg; 320g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped into small pieces; 4 medium free-range eggs, beaten; 70g plain flour; 2-3 hot cross buns, split, toasted and cooled; You’ll also need…; 20cm square cake tin

By: Paul A Young

Published: 15 Apr 16
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Paul A Young combines chunks of hot cross buns with chocolate and nutmeg in these gooey brownies. Make his epic hot cross bun brownies over the Easter weekend, or to use up leftover hot cross buns once Easter is over.

Can’t get enough of chocolate at Easter? How about these chocolate and orange hot cross buns?

Easy
March 2016

Test kitchen approved

Makes 16-25
Hands-on time 15 min, oven time 35-40 min, plus cooling and chilling overnight

Can’t get enough of chocolate at Easter? How about these chocolate and orange hot cross buns?

Nutrition: For 25

Calories: 212kcals
Fat: 10.7g (6.3g saturated)
Protein: 2.6g
Carbohydrates: 25.8g (22.4g sugars)
Fibre: 1g
Salt: 0.2g

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Ingredients

175g salted butter
80g golden syrup
280g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp freshly grated nutmeg
320g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped into small pieces
4 medium free-range eggs, beaten
70g plain flour
2-3 hot cross buns, split, toasted and cooled

You’ll also need…

20cm square cake tin

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Method

Melt the butter and syrup in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sugar and spices, then simmer for 3-4 minutes until dissolved. Take off the heat, add the chocolate and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the beaten egg and mix in until smooth. Finally, add the flour and beat until incorporated.
Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper. Tear the toasted hot cross buns into rough 2cm square pieces and scatter them into the tin.
Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Spoon the brownie mix into the tin and allow to stand for 15 minutes so the mix settles over and into the buns.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until gently set and wobbly in the middle. Don’t be tempted to leave the brownies in the oven longer than the cooking time as they’ll become dry.
Allow to cool, then chill overnight. The next day, turn out, remove the baking paper and trim the edges (for nibbling!). Turn the right way up and cut into squares to serve. A knife dipped in hot water will make this much easier.

Recipe from March 2016 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 212kcals
Fat: 10.7g (6.3g saturated)
Protein: 2.6g
Carbohydrates: 25.8g (22.4g sugars)
Fibre: 1g
Salt: 0.2g

delicious. tips

If you’re not making the brownies for Easter, try substituting the hot cross bun with pieces of honeycomb, biscuit or pretzel and leave out the spices.

You could pipe melted white chocolate crosses over each brownie to creative a festive hot cross bun appearance.
These will keep for 2 weeks, chilled in an airtight container. Eat at room temperature.