Cherry cardamom cream buns
This sort of bun goes by many different names depending on where you’re from: a Cornish split, a Kitchener bun, or a Roman maritozzi, to name a few. Whatever you may call it, just know it’s delicious. A pillowy soft, cardamom-scented dough, dusted in sugar and filled to near bursting with a cherry jam and velvety swirls of cream. An absolute delight.
This recipe is extracted from ‘A Good Day to Bake’ by Benjamina Ebuehi
Ingredients
Makes 6
Ingredients
For the cherry jam
To coat
For the cream
Method
Step 1
Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and crush them roughly with a pestle and mortar. Add them to a small saucepan with the milk, water and butter. Heat gently until the butter melts and the milk is steaming. Cover and leave to cool.
Step 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the middle, then strain the cooled milk into the bowl, discarding the cardamom seeds. Pour in the beaten egg. Knead the dough on medium speed for 6–8 minutes until it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If kneading by hand, lightly dust your work surface with flour and knead for 10–12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky at first but try not to add too much extra flour. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1–2 hours, or until nearly doubled in size.
Step 3
Meanwhile, make your cherry jam. If using fresh cherries, remove the stones and roughly chop them. Add to a pan with the sugar and lemon zest. Bring to the boil and cook for 6–8 minutes until softened and syrupy. If using frozen fruit, this will take a couple of minutes longer. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Step 4
Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Once the dough has risen, knock out the air and turn it out onto a clean surface. Divide into 6 balls, rolling each one as tightly as you can. Place on the baking sheets, leaving space between them. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and prove again for 30–45 minutes, or until risen and puffy. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5). Bake the buns for 13–18 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Step 5
When ready to assemble, make the coating. Pour the sugar into a shallow dish and mix in the cardamom. Melt the butter. Slice the buns down the middle, nearly all the way through. Brush the tops with a little melted butter, then dip them in the cardamom sugar.
Step 6
Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until you just have soft peaks. Spoon into a piping bag. Open up the buns and put a heaped teaspoon of the cherry jam inside each one. Pipe some cream on top and serve. These are best eaten on the same day.
