Cinnamon Buttercream Buns

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This is one of those simple, delicious and comforting snacks that can't go wrong. You need a stand mixer for this one and if you want to colour and shape them, peace be with you and I have some tips.

Prep Time: 1 hr 40 min

Cook time: 20 min

Yield: 8 - 12 buns

Ingredients

Buns

• 4 cups all purpose flour (and more if needed)

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 tbsp instant dry yeast

• 1 1/2 cups room temp water (and more if needed)

• 1/4 cup oil

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp salt

• (optional) whipped egg or melted butter for a wash

Cute Buns (optional)

• natural coloured powders (I use Suncore Foods natural coloured powders)

Cinnamon Butter Cream

• 1 cup butter softened to room temperature

• 4 cups icing sugar, and more to taste

• 1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk, and more to taste

• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder, and more to taste

Directions

Buns

1. In your mixer bowl, add dry ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, sugar

2. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients: oil, water, egg.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry.

4. Mix with a wooden spatula.

5. Turn on your mixer to medium low and mix until ingredients are incorporated.

6. Increase speed to a medium fast (my kitchen aid mixer is at a 4 - 6) until dough forms a ball. Keep mixing until ball is very smooth (think really smooth soft play dough). This takes about 10 minutes. Add flour and water by the tbsp if necessary to attain this smooth texture.

7. Lightly oil the surface of a bowl and place the ball of dough into it. Cover with a plastic wrap or tea towel and let dough rise in a slightly warm spot for about 30 minutes.

8. Punch the dough down to deflate it and divide into 12 portions.

9. Shape them into buns and place on a baking pan with parchment paper.

10. Cover and let them rise for 45 minutes.

11. (optional) Brush on an egg mixture of melted butter on the tops. This gives them a beautiful coloured finish.

12. Bake at 350 deg F for 15 - 18 minutes.

13. Rest under a tea towel.

Cute buns tips

1. After step 5, of the above bun recipe, add the coloured powders to the dough. You can use drops of regular food colouring too.

2. If you are using more than one colour, portion the dough into smaller bowls and mix colour into stand mixer one at a time. Use hands to knead if it is a small amount of dough (eg. pink for the noses)

3. Continue on from step 6 from bun recipe above for larger amounts of coloured dough.

4. Keep the dough in the fridge as you are woking on them. This slows down the proofing rate and allows you to take the time to shape without over proofing your dough.

5. Any unused dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months, awaiting your next creation. Have fun!

Cinnamon Butter Cream

1. Add butter to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment.

2. Whisk this on medium high until butter is really light and vey fluffy. This takes at least 10 minutes. The timing makes for the best buttercream.

3. Add cinnamon. Add sugar a cup and cream a tablespoon at the time and keep whipping to desired texture and sweetness. The cream makes this fluffier and silkier.

When buns have cooled, cut them in half and spread or pipe the cream on the buns. These can be served immediately or wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen. A quick thaw and you have yourself a delicious snack.

Zhuzh it up!

• You can add any filling to these buns. Try this savoury filling, General Tso's Chicken.

• If you are into shaping buns into cute shapes, there are better bun recipes for a stiffer yet delicious dough. Follow Xue Ren for some great tutorials.

This bun recipe I used was adapted from Jason's Grandma's 2 hour buns and the delicious buttercream recipe is thanks to my lovely master baker friend, Irene Tuazon.