The unofficial Christmas bake: mulled pear butter cinnamon rolls with @gay.nigella

Bring a bit of festive to the classic cinnamon roll with mulled pear butter and a spiced cream cheese icing. Because what’s Christmas without the sweet stuff?

Makes: 12
Time: 1hr 0mins
Difficulty: Medium

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These mulled pear butter cinnamon rolls by Adriann Ramirez aka @gay.nigella take everything that’s great about cinnamon rolls and add extra layers of flavour. Apple butter is a popular caramelised fruit spread made by slow-cooking apples, and this mulled pear butter uses the same principal to deliciously festive effect.

This is a 2-day process but it is worth every minute.

Day 1:

Method

Ingredients

Step 1For the brioche, in a stand mixer, add your flour, caster sugar, dried yeast, salt and cinnamon and mix using the dough hook on low until combined. Add in your eggs and milk, and mix until the dough has come together.
Step 2Add in your cold butter 4 cubes at a time, waiting until each addition has been incorporated before adding more. Mix your dough on medium speed for approximately 15-20 minutes, until the gluten has properly developed. It will look glossy and smooth, and you should be able to do the window pane test: rip off a bit of dough and stretch it thin to see if it doesn’t rip when pulled apart. If it stretches without tearing, it’s ready. Rest your dough in a greased bowl with clingfilm over it. Let rest at room temperature for 1 hour before moving to the fridge for an overnight bulk proof.
Step 3For the pear butter, in a large pot, add in all of your ingredients except the apple cider vinegar. Cook on medium heat with a crumpled piece of parchment on top to keep the moisture in. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 45 min - 1 hour.
Step 4Take out your whole spices and pass the mixture through a sieve, placing your pear purée in a deep pan. Set your oven to 180C, then bake your pear purée, stirring every 20 minutes with a whisk, for 1 hour. Your purée should turn a dark amber colour and become thick. Stir through the apple cider vinegar then set aside to cool.

For the brioche
500g strong bread flour
50g caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
5g instant dry yeast
4 large eggs
160g whole milk
250g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
For the mulled pear butter
1kg pears (Comice or Red Williams work well here)
100g demerara sugar
1 cinnamon stick
5 green cardamom pods
1 clove
Handful of dried hibiscus leaves (optional)
1 orange, zest and juice
750g apple juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Day 2:

Method

Ingredients

Step 1For the filling, add the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. Remove to a bowl and set aside at room temperature. For the topping, using a standing mixer, add in your ingredients and beat until smooth.
Step 2The following day, take your brioche out and turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Flour the top of the dough and roll it out, using your PrecisionPin™, to approximately 50cm x 40cm, using the 2mm ring. Ensure the bottom stays well-floured.
Step 3Add your cinnamon butter in a thin layer across your dough reaching the edges. Do the same with 200g of your mulled pear butter on top. Starting at the end nearest to you, roll your dough away from you creating a log, brushing away the excess flour from the dough.
Step 4Using a serrated knife, cut your log into 12 buns, weighing roughly 140g each. Place them into a large Nest ™ Oven tin, greased and lined with parchment paper. Cover your tin with cling film. Let your dough proof for 1 hour and a half at room temperate. When ready, it should look puﬀy, and if you poke it gently, the dough will spring back.
Step 5Set your oven at 160C fan, and bake for 25 minutes. Your buns will look golden brown and double in size. While hot, glaze your buns with your cream cheese icing and let cool slightly. Enjoy!

Tip: Jar the rest of your pear butter and spread on toast, use as cake filling or add to porridge.