It’s the middle of the year, and that always has me hankering for one thing…adventure. The first half of the year has been devoted to new projects, getting things done, and setting things up. Now, it feels like the time to break free. I want to go on long hikes, rent a bicycle in the city and find a restaurant I’ve never been to before. Host a brunch party in my backyard, and buy a dress that I would never usually wear. No matter what adventure you find yourself striking out on, these cinnamon buns are just the thing. That bright splodge of sweet blueberry cream cheese glaze takes these away from being a warming, but stodgy treat, and lifts them into being elegant, fragrant and almost light (well…almost). The buns themselves are small too – these aren’t the kind of rolls that you’ll need to take a nap after.
These are the kind of rolls that give you the burst of energy that you need to keep hiking, shopping, cycling or brunching. And may I say, they are particularly perfect at brunch: just the right thing to bring out after the more savoury items, when everyone is just relaxing and drinking coffee. Kind of like a brunch dessert, but more like a full stop on the meal. Anyway, like I said, these are very versatile. Whatever adventure you find yourself on, I can’t imagine that a batch of purple-splodged buns would do anything but make it better. Hope you try these!
Recipe and photography by Sarah Coates of The Sugar Hit
Cinnamon Buns with Blueberry Cream Cheese Glaze
Makes 8
Ingredients for the dough:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 egg
For the filling:
- 3oz butter, softened
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground almonds (or any nut)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- For the glaze:
- ½ cup blueberries
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Place the flour, sugar, yeast and salt into the bowl of a standing mixer, or into a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, and then remove from the heat and add the milk. Leave to sit until just warm, and then whisk the egg into the milk mixture. Pour the milk-egg-butter mix into the dry ingredients and bring together, either with the dough hook of your mixer on a low speed, or using a wooden spoon. When the mixture comes together, knead for 5-10 minutes or until elastic and soft, but not sticky. Cover with plastic, and set aside to rise for 1 hour. Stir together the ingredients for the filling until smooth. After the dough has risen, punch if down, and then roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a square about 13x13inches. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, and then roll up tightly and slice into 8 buns (you may need to trim the edges if they’re raggedy). Line 8 holes of a muffin tin with paper cases, and place in the buns, then cover again with plastic and leave to rise for 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F, and bake the buns for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside to cool completely. To make the glaze, place the blueberries and water into a small saucepan and cook, stirring until the blueberries burst. Press the mixture through a sieve, and then let cool. Stir together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, then mix in the cooled blueberry juice to get a custardy consistency. Drizzle over the cooled buns, and serve.
