This is a family recipe for delicious, amazing Christmas buns - almondy, light and fluffy, just sweet enough, and with a candied cherry right on top. They are perfect for the holidays.
¼ to ½ cupadditional coconut oil or vegan butter,melted for brushing
For the almond butter cream:
¼cup(half-stick) of vegan butter, room temp (60 mL)
¾ to 1cupconfectioner’s powdered sugar
½teaspoonpure almond extract
For the garnish:
Somemaraschino cherries,halved
Someshaved almonds
Instructions
Begin by combining the soy milk, sugar, salt, almond extract and coconut oil (or vegan butter) in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, whisking occasionally until the milk is heated through and all the oil is melted. Do not let this boil.
In the meanwhile, mix together the ¼ cup warm water (not hot or boiling water), the teaspoon of sugar, and the yeast. Let the yeast bloom for about 5 minutes, or until bubbles begin to emerge throughout. Parallel, combine the flaxseed and 9 tablespoons warm water in a separate bowl, and set aside to congeal, also about 5 minutes.
Combine the flaxseed, yeast, and milk in a large mixing bowl, and then add the flour in about 1/2 to 3/4 cup increments, folding the flour into the liquid. The dough will be very sticky, but don’t be afraid to mix it together with your hands near the end of adding flour. Mix just until no large clumps of flour remain. No need to knead the dough, just incorporate everything together.
Cover the mixing bowl with a clean dishtowel, and place the bowl in someplace warm for about 20 minutes to proof. In that time, make the almond butter cream by vigorously whisking together room temperature vegan butter, confectioner’s sugar, and almond extract. Set aside and save for the end.
Microwave some coconut oil (or vegan butter) in a small bowl, and then use some to grease a couple 8×8-inch baking dishes. After that, plop the proofed dough onto a floured surface and pat into a 6-inch (~15cm) thick oblong shape. Brush both sides with a little bit of coconut oil (or vegan butter, of course).
Next, cut about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch (1.5 – 2.0cm) strips of dough length-wise, so that you have little dough snakes. Cut those in half, sprinkle with brown sugar, and then roll one end of the tail into a swirled shape. Place them neatly in the baking dish. This should fill up several 8×8’s, so much so that you may need to work in separate batches. Just cover the dough with a cloth during the time you’re not using it if that’s the case. Also, you have the option of making big rolls instead of small ones by not cutting the strip of dough in half. Brush the rolls once more with the last bit of coconut oil (or vegan butter), cover with a clean dish towel once more, and then allow them to proof for another 30 – 45 minutes in the 8x8's, until they’ve expanded in size and filled in the gaps between each roll.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (~175°C). Place a couple of the baking dishes of buns in the oven, and bake for 28 – 32 minutes, checking frequently. Bake until golden brown on top, firm to the touch, and hollow sounding when tapped.
Let the buns cool for 10 to 15 minutes, and then frost them with the almond butter cream. Garnish with shaved almonds and a halved maraschino cherry right in the center.
Eat immediately! You can also wrap these tightly in a reusable baggies and freeze these for a couple weeks – gently reheating them in the oven on low heat the day of.