Chocolate Hot Cross Bun Pudding - with Chocolate Sauce and Dollop Cream

Prep time: 15 mins  
Cooking time: 45 mins 
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients 

• 6 Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
• 80g Sugar
• 600ml Thickened Cream
• 200ml Dollop Cream
• 1 Vanilla Bean Pod
• 100g Dark Chocolate

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Place 400ml of thickened cream into a saucepan on medium-high heat, add the sugar and heat up for around 1 minute. Make sure to not let it boil.
3. To create a coffee cream, turn off the heat, add the coffee, and mix throughout. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, add the eggs and cocoa powder. Remove the vanilla bean seeds from the pods and add half to the bowl. Mix well with an electric mixer. Slowly pour in the hot coffee cream until well combined. Slice the hot cross buns in half and spread butter on each.
4. Place the bottom halves on a greased deep oven tray, and pour in the wet mixture until fully covered.
5. Add the top halves and pour in the rest of the wet mixture. Soak for approximately 10 minutes and cover with aluminum foil.
6. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
7. Take out tray from the oven, remove the foil and cook further for 10-15 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, mix the dollop cream with 1/2 tsp of icing sugar and the remaining vanilla bean seeds in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
9. Place the remaining 200ml of thickened cream in a saucepan. Heat on medium heat, making sure it doesn't boil. Turn off the heat and set aside.
10. Break the chocolate bar into small pieces and add to the thickened cream. Mix well until melted and well combined, creating a chocolate sauce. Keep warm and set aside.
11. Remove hot cross bun pudding from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.
12. Serve pudding warm with chocolate sauce, a sprinkle of icing sugar and vanlla dollop cream.