Method

1| Lightly grease an 18 x 26cm slice tin with oil.

2| Put yeast, sugar and milk in a bowl. Using a fork, whisk until yeast dissolves. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes in a warm place until foaming.

3| Meanwhile, sift flour and spices into a large bowl. Rub in butter, using your fingertips, until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the centre, and add yeast mixture, egg and water, and stir to combine. Turn out dough onto a clean surface. Knead for 1 minute or until almost smooth. Return to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30-45 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

4| Turn out dough onto a clean surface. Add chocolate baking chips and knead until well combined. Divide dough into 12 equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball. Put balls in prepared tin, spaced 1cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes or until slightly risen.

5| Preheat oven to 200°C.

6| To make chocolate paste, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and spoon into a small zip-lock bag. Snip off tip from 1 corner of bag and pipe a cross onto each bun. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C and bake for a further 12 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer and golden brown.

7| Put gelatine, extra sugar and water in a heatproof bowl and stir with a fork until dissolved.

8| Put buns, cross-side up on a wire rack. Brush tops with gelatine mixture and set aside for 5 minutes to allow to set. Cut each bun in half, spread with butter and serve warm or cold.