Christmas Sticky Buns

CHRISTMAS STICKY BUNS 

Ingredients

For the spiced butter

150g (5oz) unsalted butter, softened

250g (8oz) light brown soft sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon

For the buns

150ml (5fl oz) milk

60g (2½oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

60g (2½oz) light brown soft sugar

1tbsp fast action dried yeast

375g (12oz) plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

1tsp salt

175g (6oz) cooked Christmas pudding, crumbled

100g (3½oz) pecan nuts, chopped

3tbsp golden syrup

To make the spiced butter, beat the butter, sugar and cinnamon together until light and creamy. Set aside at room temperature.

To make the buns, place the milk and 100ml (3½fl oz) of water in a pan over high heat. Just before it boils, add the butter. Set aside until it's cooled down to just warm.

Place the sugar, yeast, flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the milk mixture and bring together with a wooden spoon and then use your hands to form a dough.

Knead for 8-10 minutes on a floured surface until the dough is silky smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a dough hook attachment on a food mixer to form and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl.

Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Once the dough has risen, knock it back with your fist, dust with flour and knead for 1 minute. Roll and stretch out to form a large rectangle about 25x40cm (10x16in). Spread the dough with two thirds of the spiced butter and sprinkle evenly with the crumbled Christmas pudding and chopped pecans.

Fold into thirds by taking one long side and folding it in towards the middle of the rectangle, then take the other long side and fold it down over the top, as if you were folding a letter to put in an envelope. Now gently roll the dough out to form a large rectangle as before and spread with the remaining spiced butter. This time, roll up from one long side to form a log shape.

Cut the log into 12 even pieces (they'll look like pinwheels). Grease a 12-hole muffin tin with butter and put a bun, cut side uppermost, in each hole. Set aside for 10 minutes to rise. Drizzle with golden syrup and bake for 30 minutes until golden.

Allow the buns to cool slightly before removing from the tin, otherwise the sugar will make them stick to the base as it cools. Wait for the buns to cool a little before eating because the sugar can burn.

Tip

You can leave the covered bowl of kneaded dough to rise in the fridge overnight instead, if you like. Just bring it to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.