Friday, April 18, 2014

Not Quite Nigella's Buns


Innuendo aside, Easter 2014 asked for spiced honey buns.

These answered, and answered well.


Spiced Honey Buns 

(Adapted from Not Quite Nigella's Spiced Honey Buttered Hot Cross Buns)

My version of the recipe contains: 
  • no gluten 
  • no eggs
  • no refined sugar

GF Flour Mix:
  • 700ml white rice flour (I use Entice Rice Flour)
  • 300ml tapioca flour or potato starch (I use Nature's Choice)
Ingredients for Honey Buns:
  • 2 Tbsp instant dried yeast
  • 125ml honey (+ extra for honey-butter glaze)
  • 375ml buttermilk (warm)
  • 4.5 cups gf flour mix (1125ml of flour)
  • 5ml salt
  • 50g unsalted butter (melted) (+ extra for honey-butter glaze)
  • 5ml ground cinnamon
  • 2.5ml mixed spices
  • 1.5 cups dried raisins or sultanas (preservative free)
  • Optional: a few blocks of 55 - 70% dark chocolate
Method:
  1. In a bowl, stir the warm buttermilk, honey and yeast together. Set aside to froth for a few minutes.
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, melted butter, spices, raisins and yeast-buttermilk-honey mixture.
  3. Use your hands to press the dough together and cover the bowl with some cling wrap while it rises. 
  4. Line a baking sheet with some baking paper and form little bun shapes.
  5. Bake the buns in a pre-heated oven of 180 - 200 degrees Celsius for 20 - 30 minutes (depending on the size of the buns).
  6. Glaze the buns with melted honey and butter, or try inserting a piece of dark chocolate into the centre of the bun just as it gets out the oven. The result is a spicy honey pan au chocolat wannabe.


P.S. Dogs will want to eat these yummy tasting buns but raisins are SUPER TOXIC for dogs, as they can cause kidney failure! Keep watch over your furry friends around raisins (and grapes) please.