Candy Cane Buns

Submitted by PaddyL on August 08, 2008 at 11:45 pm
This is from Janice Murray Gill's Great Canadian Breadbook.

Dough
1 tbsp. dried yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
4 cups flour
3 tbsp. sugar
grated peel of one lemon
1 cup butter
1 cup scalded milk
2 eggs
Filling
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/3 cup honey
grated peel of half an orange

To make filling: Chop cranberries finely in food processor fitted with steel blade or in food chopper. Chop pecans coarsely. Combine in saucepan with other ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until mixture is quite thick. Depending on the juiciness of the cranberries this will take from 5-15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Mixture should spread like thick jam.

Proof the yeast with the 1 tsp. sugar in the warm water.

Combine flour, lemon peel, and remaining sugar. With a pastry blender, or two knives, or in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse meal.

Combine cooled, scalded milk with the proofed yeast and the lightly beaten eggs and pour into the flour and butter mixture. Combine, tossing lightly with a fork. Cover dough and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

To make buns: Divide cold dough into two portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured board into a rectangle 14 x 18 inches. Spread half of the filling down the middle third of the strip leaving a border 6 inches wide on either side. Fold these two sides over one another to make a three-layered strip, 6 x 14 inches. With a sharp knife cut crosswise into fifteen strips. Twist strips to corkscrew fashion and bend over one end to make a candy cane shape.

Place on well-greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and put at once into preheated 400F oven and bake about 15 minutes. Remove carefully and cool on racks. While buns are still hot, glaze with icing made from confectioners' sugar mixed with a little milk. Repeat with second half of dough and filling or save for next day.

These buns should be served warm and since they are not risen before baking, they stale rather quickly.