SAFFRON, MARZIPAN & RUM BUNS

These festive, Swedish inspired buns are all kinds of amazing, their dough scented with saffron and filled with a moist and fragrant mix of marzipan, rum, more saffron and butter.

Baking these beauties also happens to be the perfect way to spend a festive day now that we are all back to avoiding the outside world (I KNOW, SIGH) but trust me with these buns, they will even get the biggest 2201 gringe in a Christmassy mood and that is even before trying them because BOY are they good!!

Get baking, stay positive and stay healthy this Christmas! I will be cooking and baking all the way to get a little light relief from the outside world in the most tasty of ways.

MAKES LOADS!

INGREDIENTS

Yeast dough:

• 500 ml lukewarm milk (2 cups)
• a generous pinch of saffron threads*
• 50 g fresh yeast (or use 2 sachets of instant yeast)
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 150 g caster sugar
• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 200 g cream cheese, softened
• 1 kg of all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 100 g unsalted butter, softened
• 200 g marzipan, grated
• 3 Tbsp dark rum
• a generous pinch of saffron threads

To finish:

• Egg-wash made with 1 egg and 1 Tbsp water
• Sugar pearls

METHOD

• Heat the milk, pour into a large mixing bowl. 
• Add the saffron and let it infuse and cool for a while. 
• The milk should be 37 C at the end.
• Crumble the yeast into the milk. 
• Add salt, sugar and most of the flour. 
• Then knead in the soft butter and cream cheese and the rest of the flour. 
• Knead until the dough doesn't stick to the bowl any longer. 
• Cover and let rise until doubled in size - you need to do that in a warm and draught-free place.
• (Meanwhile, cover the baking tray with a parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 220 C).
• Prepare the filling. 
• Grate the marzipan coarsely. 
• Mix saffron strands with the rum and let infuse for 5-10 minutes. 
• Melt butter in a small saucepan, add the marzipan and then the saffron-infused rum.
• Heat gently, stirring, until combined.Remove from the heat.
• Gently knead the yeast dough and divide into two. 
• Roll both on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, about 5 mm (1/4''). 
• Spread half of the marzipan mixture onto the dough and roll tightly, starting from the longer edge.
• Repeat with the other dough.
• Cut into 3-4 cm rolls (about 1,5 inches) and place onto a baking tray. (If you wish, you can let them rise again for 20-30 minutes). 
• Brush with the egg-wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lovely golden brown. 
• Let cool under a clean kitchen towel - this helps them stay soft.