I used White Spelt Flour to make these Chocolate Chip Rock Buns. They only take 12 mins to bake and are a lovely easy recipe to make with children or for anyone new to home baking.
This recipe is a simple variation of these Gooey Chocolate Chip Rock cakes, but with a more Rock like rustic appearance, hence the name. This is why they are so quick to make.
Making these Rock Buns with Chocolate Chips could not be easier. A few simple ingredients mixed together and you have a lovely tea time treat in about 30 mins. It's an ideal children's recipe. Mix and match the chocolate drops, they can be added to so many easy recipes, try these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with added cherries and oats. Or these Chocolate Chip Rock Buns, they are so easy to make.
I've written A Guide to Different Types of Flour and included some recipes using Spelt, Wholemeal and Rye Flour.
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What is Spelt Flour?
Before you begin making these Rock Buns, I wanted to tell you a little about the Spelt Flour I used. Spelt and other ancient grains such as Emmer are growing in popularity and are something we need to think about using more often before all these ancient grains become extinct and overtaken by modern type of grains. A book of interest is Dan Saladino's Eating to Extinction.
*Spelt is an ancient grain that was first cultivated near Jericho on the modern day West Bank between 10,200 and 8,800 BC. By the Roman Times, its popularity stretched across Europe. The flour has unique nutritional and baking qualities and is an ideal Plain (all purpose) flour for pastries and cakes. *source Shipton Mills
Note: You will need to add a raising agent such as Baking Powder when making cakes with these grains.
Why You Will Love This Recipe.
- This is the perfect recipe for anyone who is new to baking and is an ideal recipe for children to make.
- Using Spelt flour gives a nice nutty flavour.
- It's a quick recipe to make if you need something sweet in a hurry.
- It's an ideal snack for packed lunches, coffee breaks and bake sales.
Ingredients and a few alternatives.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Spelt Flour - For this recipe, I used White Spelt Flour but you could try using Spelt Wholemeal flour or a mix of the two. Or any plain (all purpose) white flour.
- Baking Powder - When using plain flour such as Spelt, you need a raising agent.
- Salt - Just a pinch. I use crushed Sea Salt.
- Sugar - White Caster sugar, but any sugar is fine, although Granulated sugar has larger crystals.
- Butter - unsalted and fridge cold, cut into cubes.
- Chocolate Chips - I used a mix of Milk and Dark chocolate chips. If you have a favourite flavour, use that
- Vanilla extract - Combining chocolate and vanilla creates a delightful flavour combination that you should try to incorporate whenever possible. This Chocolate and Vanilla Marble cake, infused with both chocolate and vanilla flavours, is a perfect example of this delicious pairing..
- Egg - Medium sized, free range - if you can
- Milk - full fat or semi skimmed is fine.
Step by Step Instructions.
Preheat the oven to 180deg Fan Assisted and line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment.
Step 1: Add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar to a large bowl. Give it a little mix. Using your finger tips, rub in the butter until you have fine breadcrumbs.
Step 2: Add the Milk and Dark chocolate chips and give everything a good mix to evenly distribute the chocolate. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Using a cutlery knife or large spoon, start to bring everything together to form a stiff dough.
Step 4: Spoon 11 - 12 individual mounds of dough onto the baking tray, evenly spaced out. Be as rustic as you like, these chocolate rock cakes (Rock Buns) are meant to look rough and uneven. It's where their name comes from.
Step 5: Bake in the centre of the oven for 12 - 15 mins or until baked. They should have a nice golden colour with the chocolate drops melting a little.
Note: Baking times will differ if you choose to make larger or smaller rock buns. Take out of the oven and leave to cool on the tray or cake rack.
Expert Tips
Tip 1: Do not add too much liquid. The dough needs to be firm.
Tip 2: Make sure the flour and butter are rubbed enough together to a bread crumb consistency. Using a food processor will make the job easier.
Tip 3: Mix and match the chocolate chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
A stale and old, out-of-date raising agent (Baking Powder) could be the reason why your Rock Buns didn't rise.
Baking Powder starts to react the moment it comes into contact with liquid, which is why you need to have your buns placed in the preheated oven as soon as all the ingredients are mixed together.
You can freeze them individually on a tray, and then place them in a container back in the freezer for a few months. Bring them back to room temperature before serving or bake in a moderate oven for a few moments to refresh.
They will keep for a few days to a week when kept in an airtight container in a cool place or in the fridge.
Storage
Room Temperature: Chocolate Chip Rock cakes will keep them in an airtight container for a couple of days.
Fridge: If you keep them in the fridge they may go a little hard. Warm them for a few minutes in the oven before serving.
Freezer: You could keep the individual unbaked rock buns in the freezer. You will need to bake for a few extra minutes than the recipe says.
More Buns and Muffin Recipes That You May Like
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Recipe
Chocolate Chip Rock Buns
Equipment
- 1 x baking tray
- Baking Parchment
Ingredients
- 200 g White Spelt Flour or plain (all purpose flour)
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 pinch of Salt
- 50 g caster sugar
- 110 g Unsalted butter fridge cold cut into cubes.
- 50 g Milk Chocolate Chips
- 50 g Dark chocolate Chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 medium egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180deg Fan Assisted.
- Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar to a large bowl. Give it a little mix.
- Using your finger tips, rub in the butter until you have fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the chocolate chips and give everything a good mix to evenly distribute the chocolate. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract, then using a cutlery knife or large spoon, bring everything together to form a firm dough.
- Spoon 11 - 12 individual mounds of dough onto the baking tray leaving a little space between each one.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 12 - 15 mins or until baked. They should have a nice golden colour with the chocolate melting a little.
- Baking times will differ if you choose to make larger or smaller rock buns. Take out of the oven and leave to cool on the tray or cake rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: Recipes are tested using Metric only. The provided nutrition information is an estimate for the entire recipe, the calorie accuracy nutritional facts, unit and portion conversion are calculated by a third party app. and are not guaranteed.
Claudette Stenson
Want to try this recipe, however I think the oven temp is British. My oven is US 150 and higher. All my cookie recipes are baked at 350 degrees. Don't want to waste my Spelt flour if the temp setting is wrong.
Please verify correct measurements and temps for American kitchen.
Many thanks. Claudette
Lynn
Hi Claudette. Thanks for asking. You are correct, all my temperatures are for British ovens and 180c (Fan Assisted) is generally what I bake most of my cakes and cookies at. This website for Oven Temperatures has a great conversion chart and it looks like 180 c (fan assisted oven) converts to 400F US/Canadian. However, you know your oven better than me, so I would bake the Rock Buns at the same temperature as you normally bake your cookies (350F) but allow for a couple of extra baking times just in case. Or bake until they are done.