Chocolate Peanut Butter Buns

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These seriously decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Buns with caramelised peanuts and a drizzle of caramel sauce are for all you fellow peanut butter fans.

It’s winter, it’s time to cosy up in front of the fire with your favourite book or film and help yourself to a Chocolate Peanut Butter Bun, my idea of heaven. Except in reality, I’m in a caravan, in a field but I do have my Kitchen Shed to bake in and I can curl up with my dog and a radiator in the caravan, dreaming about my kitchen to be.

The buns are made from a yeasted chocolate dough with espresso powder to add to the chocolate hit – chocolate tends to slow down the rise so I used just enough to give a chocolate flavour without inhibiting the dough. Simply rolled like a cinnamon bun, filled with a peanut buttercream and extra peanuts and then a drizzle of salted caramel sauce while they’re still warm. The result ? Pillowy soft buns with a crunchy peanut filling and oozing with caramel sauce. I guarantee you won’t be able to wait to eat one … or maybe two.

I used Food Thoughts Cocoa as Food Thoughts UK kindly sent me a sample to try. It’s 100% Organic and gluten free Fairtrade cocoa powder with no added sugar, making it perfect for baking and it works so well in my Chocolate Peanut Butter Buns. I’m really looking forward to trying the cocoa in a sponge, so watch this space.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buns

Makes: 12 buns

Ingredients

Dough:

• 400 g bread flour
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso or coffee powder
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast (I used Doves Farm)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 300 ml butter milk or half milk & half yoghurt
• 75 g softened butter

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 50 g softened butter
• 100 g sugar
• 4 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup or honey

Caramel Sauce:

• 150 g white caster sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• Couple of drops of white wine vinegar
• 100 g butter
• 100 ml double cream
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Optional Topping:

• Caramelised peanuts

Preheat oven:

• 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6

You will need:

•  A greased and lined 33 cm x 23 cm (12″ x 9″) baking tin

• Warm the buttermilk (or milk and yoghurt mixture) for 1 minute in a microwave on full power. The liquid temperature needs to be tepid to warm so as to encourage the yeast to start working – too much heat will kill the yeast. Gently warm liquid in a saucepan if you don’t have a microwave.
• If mixing and kneading your dough by hand:
• Combine all the dough ingredients in a large bowl, stirring them together until they form a ball.
• Knead by hand for 10 to 12 minutes.
• If mixing and kneading your dough using a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook:
• Add the dough ingredients into your mixer bowl.
• Mix on slow speed number 1 for approximately 1 to 2 minutes then on speed number 2 for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Your dough should be lovely and smooth and elastic.
• Place your dough in a large greased mixing bowl and cover.
• Leave to rest in a warm place for at least one and a half hours or until doubled in size.
• Make the peanut butter cream by creaming the butter and sugar together in a small bowl.
• Add the peanut butter and golden syrup or honey and mix in well.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface.
• Roll your dough out to 40 by 25 cm (16 inches by 10 inches).
• Spread the peanut butter flavoured sugar cream over the dough.
• Starting from a longside, lightly roll up the dough rectangles like a swiss roll or jelly roll.
• With a sharp knife cut each into 12 even slices.
• Lay slices flat in the greased baking tin – leave an even space between the slices as they will expand horizontally as they rise.
• Leave to rise from approximately 30 to 45 minutes until well risen.
• Bake in the oven 25 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch.
• While your chocolate peanut butter buns are cooking make the salted caramel.
• Dissolve the caster sugar in a pan with the water and white wine vinegar over a medium heat.
• Once the sugar has dissolved turn up the heat and bring to the boil – do not stir.
• Let the sauce bubble away for 2 to 3 mins until golden and syrupy.
• Remove from the heat and add the cream and butter and stir well.
• Leave to cool for about 5 minutes before stirring in the salt.
• Pour the warm caramel sauce over your warm Chocolate Peanut Butter Buns and enjoy.

I’m linking Chocolate Peanut Butter Buns to: Fiesta Fridays