Iced Buns

Today I made some iced buns but I thought how could I improve on them. So, I decided to add some cream and apricot jam in the centre then top with icing and some homemade almond brittle The results were delish if i do say so myself and the secretaries at Dylan's school agreed (made far too many). This recipe makes 20 mini ones or 10 huge ones. I like the mini kind, you could always half the recipe.

400g strong white flour
100g plain flour
11/2 teaspoons salt
50g caster sugar
60g soft butter
10g easy blend yeast
300ml full fat milk

Toppings and fillings
300ml of double cream whipped
Apricot jam heated and sieved
Icing sugar mixed with a little water into firm paste.

Mix all ingredients except for the butter into large bowl of free standing mixer,mix slowly to start then increase speed as it comes together. Now add the butter a little at a time.

Continue knead on bread hook for 6 mins. Oil the bowl, cover and leave for an hour until doubled in size. turn out and knock back and then shape into either 20 equal pieces or 10, shape into sausage shapes leave to prove for another hour on a couple of baking trays well spaced out as they will double then double almost again in the oven.

Bake @ 200 for about 20 mins for small buns check after 15 and 30 for bigger ones check after 25.
Leave to cool on wire trays,once cooled split and fill, either piping or spooning in jam and whipped double cream. Top buns with a little line of icing and nut brittle.

Almond brittle
4oz caster sugar
4 tablespoons of water
4oz almonds (toasted in a dry pan)

Put caster sugar and water in a pan heat gently until sugar dissolves.

Cook until sugar turns to a light nut brown, watch carefully or it will burn, put almonds onto baking sheet pour over sugar, leave to cool,blitz in processor or bash in a freezer bag with a rolling pin.

ENJOY x