Christmas Morning Breakfast Buns

Hooray for November . . .  which means I can start to think about the holidays and begin to trial recipes which I want to use during that time, the first of which are these lovely Breakfast Buns I am showing you this morning.   

They are just perfect for the holiday season, which I know in America stretches from Thanksgiving until New Years.   We only do Christmas to New Years here, but we do have Boxing Day the day after Christmas, so we will have plenty to celebrate as well!









The holidays are such busy times when our homes are filled with family and friends . . .  overnight guests, lots of activities going on . . .  

They are also a time in which we want to share delicious food with those that we love and these delightful breakfast buns will add a really festive touch to your holiday mornings!

 

 






Not only are they easy to make but also quick to make.  They are composed of a rich and buttery buttermilk scone dough . . .  enhanced with holiday flavours of orange and cinnamon . . .  spread with mincemeat . . .  homemade or store bought . . .

Rolled up, sliced and baked until nicely puffed and golden brown and then slathered with a glaze icing, again flavoured with orange and cinnamon . . .  served warm these are positively delightful!

 

 





I usually make my own mincemeat every year, using Delia's Foolproof Recipe, but the grocery shops are full of wonderful mincemeat as well. 

 Marks and Spencers make a really yummy luxury version that is to die for.  Just to die for . . .

In any case I hope you will bookmark or pin this recipe to use over the holidays and that you will all enjoy it as much as we have.   Todd declared it one of his favourites yet!  

Oh yes, it's also handy in that you can do everything but mix the dough together the night before, so that all you have to do when you get up in the morning is stir in the wet ingredients, pat it out, spread it with the mincemeat, slice and bake.  Easy peasy!

 

 

*Christmas Morning Breakfast Buns*

Serves 8

Printable Recipe  

Christmas epitomized in a lovely breakfast bun.   Dried vine fruits, warm baking spices, and orange flavours all rolled up in a lovely scone dough, sliced and baked, and then glazed with a buttery cinnamon orange frosting. Perfect for enjoying on Christmas morning with a nice warm drink while you enjoy the family opening their gifts.  You can easily throw everything for the dough together the night before, ready to add the liquid ingredients in the morning, pat out, fill and bake.  Quick, easy and delicious!  

For the dough:

250g of plain flour (1 34 cup plus 1 TBS)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

the finely grated zest of one large orange

3 TBS golden caster sugar

40g of unsalted butter softened (3 TBS)

1 large free range egg

75ml of buttermilk (1/3 cup)

(May need more as needed to create the perfect dough)  

To fill:

good quality ready made or homemade mincemeat

(Choose your favourite one, with lots of cherries or cranberries, if you
are buying it!)  

A bit more buttermilk for glazing  

To finish:

195g of sifted icing sugar (1 1/2 cups)

the juice of 1/2 orange

1 TBS softened butter
pinch ground cinnamon

finely grated orange zest to garnish (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F gas mark 6.   Butter a deep glass oval baking dish really well.  (Mine is about 12 inches long at it's longest and 8 inches across at it's widest and about 3 inches deep)  It's important that you butter it really well.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.  Whisk in the orange zest, sugar and salt,  Drop in the butter and then rub the butter in with your fingertips until you get a mixture resembling fine bread crumbs.  Beat the buttermilk and egg together.   Stir this into the flour mixture using a round bladed knive.  You may need to add a bit more milk if the dough seems dry.   Knead gently and turn out onto a floured board.  Pat out into a rectangle measuring roughly 8 by 12 inches and about 1/2 inch thick.

Spread the top with mincemeat thickly, leaving a 1/2 inch border along both long edges.   Roll up tighly from the long edge to make a fat roll, keeping as much of the mincemeat as possible intact as you can.   Press the ends gently to firm up.  Using a very sharp knife, cut into 8 evenly sized slices.  Place the slices into the buttered dish.  (I use a very sharp chef's nive to cut the slices and then let them fall on top of the knife and use the knife to move them to the dish)  Take any bits of mincemeat which may fall out and stick them back in once you get them into the dish.   They will be a fairly snug fit, but that is how they should be.  Brush over the top of all with some more buttermilk.








Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and golden brown on top  It should look dry and be just turning golden brown on the bottoms, which you should be able to see if you have used a clear glass baking dish.

While the buns are baking whisk together the icing sugar, orange juice, butter and ground cinnamon to make a smooth, somewhat thin icing.  As soon as you take the buns from the oven, slather this delicious icing over top of the warm buns to cover them all.  Let it settle in a bit and then serve the buns warm, separating the rolls and placing each onto serving plates for eating with a fork. 

Optional -  Once you have iced the buns, dust the tops with a bit more finely grated orange zest.


Let the holiday fest begin!