Best Chelsea Christmas Buns Recipes

PAUL HOLLYWOOD'S CHELSEA BUN CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• Place the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other side.
• Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm. Pour into the flour mixture, add the eggs and stir thoroughly until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough. The dough will be sticky.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Alternatively this can be done in a stand mixer using a dough hook.
• Place the dough into an oiled bowl and leave to rise, covered with a damp tea towel, for one hour or until doubled in size.
• Mix the mincemeat with the diced apple, pear, orange zest, candied peel, pistachio nuts and cinnamon.
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 50cm x 45cm.
• Tack down the long side of the dough rectangle nearest to you by pressing it down onto the work surface with your thumb.
• Brush all over with the melted butter. Then spread the mincemeat mixture over the dough, leaving a 2cm border.
• Roll the opposite long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, until the roll is complete and tight. Trim the ends to neaten. With a sharp knife, cut it into 15 thick rounds of about 4cm.
• Line a very large baking tray, or the grill tray from your oven, with baking parchment.
• Arrange the rolls on the prepared tray (cut side up) in a Christmas tree shape: 1 on top, 2 underneath, 3 in the third row, 4 in the fourth row, 5 in the fifth row, and use some of the trimmings to make a trunk. You want the rolls to be close enough so that when they rise further and are baked, they will bake with their sides touching. They can then be pulled apart and you get a lovely soft edge.
• Cover loosely and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/Gas 5. When the buns are ready, put them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Check after 15 minutes or so and cover the buns with foil if they are getting too brown.
• Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool slightly before transferring them from the tin to a cooling rack.
• Melt the jam in a small saucepan with a splash of water until smooth. Brush the jam over the buns to glaze and allow to cool.
• Mix together the icing sugar, orange zest and 2 tablespoons of water. Place in a piping bag and pipe on the tree for garlands. Garnish with glace cherries, candied peel and chopped pistachio nibs.

CHELSEA CHRISTMAS BUNS

Steps:

• Do-ahead steps: Defrost the puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator and leave in the refrigerator until ready to roll out. If you leave it on the counter while you assemble everything they get too soft and will be difficult to work with. Preheat oven to 400°.
• With a hand mixer or stand mixer cream together and place one rounded tablespoon of mixture in to each muffin cup. Sprinkle ½ cup of the chopped pecans evenly over the sugar butter mix: 7 TBS of butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar and ½ t vanilla extract
• With a fork combine remaining brown sugar and the spices. Divide mixture in half: one half for one puff pastry sheet, and one for the second: 2/3 c brown sugar, 3 t cinnamon, ½ t nutmeg, ¼ t salt.
• Tear off a sheet of plastic wrap larger than the puff pastry sheet and place on a wooden board. Lightly flour the area and unfold one sheet of the defrosted puff pastry with the folds going left to right. With a pastry brush, paint the sheet with melted butter, reserving ½ for the second sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar/spice mixture over the puff pastry and then top with ½ cup of chopped pecans. Starting with the end closest to you, roll snugly, just like a jelly roll ending with seam side down. Slice in to six equal pieces. Each piece is about 1 ½ inches wide. Place each piece spiral side up in the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 Chelsea Christmas Buns.
• Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Cool for just five minutes before turning out on to a foil or parchment paper lined sheet pan.
• Optional spice ideas: cardamom, ginger, allspice.
• Optional dried fruit ideas: cranberries, cherries, raisins, golden raisins, apricots, currants, dates.

PAUL HOLLYWOOD'S CHELSEA BUNS

Steps:

• Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeast.
• Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm. Pour into the flour mixture, add the egg and stir thoroughly until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well for five minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough into an oiled bowl and leave to rise, covered with a damp tea towel, for one hour or until doubled in size.
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough into a rectangle about 30x20cm/12x8in.
• Brush all over with the melted butter. Evenly sprinkle the orange zest over the buttered surface, followed by the sugar, cinnamon and dried fruit.
• Tack down the long side of the dough rectangle nearest to you by pressing it down onto the work surface with your thumb. Roll the opposite long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, until the roll is complete and tight. With a sharp knife cut into thick rounds - about 4cm/1¾in.
• Grease a deep roasting tin or baking tray thoroughly with butter.
• Place the buns, cut side up, into the greased baking tray leaving about 1cm/½in of space between each one. You want them to be close enough so that when they rise further and then bake, they will bake with their sides touching. They can then be pulled apart and you get a lovely soft edge.
• Leave to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
• Preheat oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
• When the buns are ready, put them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden-brown. Check after 15 minutes or so and cover the buns with foil if they are getting too brown.
• Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool slightly before transferring them from the tin to a cooling rack.
• Melt the jam in a small saucepan with a splash of water until smooth. Brush the jam over the buns to glaze and allow to cool.
• Mix together the icing sugar, orange zest and two tablespoons water. Drizzle the icing over the cooled buns and allow to set before serving.

CHELSEA BUNS

Steps:

• Pour the warm water into the bowl of a standing electric mixer, add the yeast and granulated sugar, and let the yeast proof until bubbly on the surface, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the 2 cups of milk until very warm (120 to 130 degrees F).
• In another pan, melt the butter. Set aside 1/4 cup for brushing the pans.
• When the yeast is bubbly, fit the electric mixer with a dough hook or paddle. Add all of the flour, the brown sugar, warm milk, eggs, and the 1 1/4 cups melted butter and beat on low speed for 10 minutes.
• Oil a large bowl and place the dough in it, turning it in the bowl to coat on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Brush two 8-inch springform pans, 2 inches deep, with the reserved 1/4 cup of melted butter.
• Make the filling: In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, currants, and cinnamon.
• Once the dough has doubled, punch it down with your hands. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. On a clean, dry, lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a rectangle 8 x 12 inches. Sprinkle half the filling over each piece of dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Starting with the long side of the dough closest to you, roll each piece of dough into a cylinder, pinching the seam closed. Cut each roll into 6 equal slices and place the slices, cut side up, with the sides touching, in the prepared springform pans. Brush the surface of the buns with the remaining 1/4 cup of milk. Let the buns rise in the pans until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake the buns for about 45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the buns comes out clean. Cool in the pans 10 minutes. Serve warm. To store, wrap the buns well in plastic, then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap; then wrap the buns in aluminum foil. Reheat in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes, or until heated through.

CHELSEA BUNS

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients into your bread machine and select the Dough Program. Add the raisins before the end of the last kneading, when your machine beeps. (If it doesn't offer you this option, add them when you roll out the dough).
• Place the prepared dough onto a lightly floured surface and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle.
• Mix up 1/3 cup soft brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon and 2 tbs soft butter into a paste. Spread this onto the dough.
• Roll the dough up lengthwise, like a jelly-roll / Swiss roll.
• Slice into 1 inch thick rounds. Place these into a lightly greased deep sided baking tray (a roasting tray is good) Cover with a clean cloth and place into a warm, draft-free spot to rise for an hour.
• Bake at 180 deg C for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove and while cooling drizzle with a paste of Icing sugar and water. No quantities for this - just use icing sugar and add teaspoons of hot water at a time. Mix until smooth and not too runny.

MINCEMEAT CHELSEA BUNS

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a pan until steaming. Remove from the heat, add the butter, then leave to cool until lukewarm and the butter has melted. Put the flour, yeast, sugar, spices and 1 tsp salt into a large bowl, and mix together. Make a well in the centre, and pour in the egg and milk mixture. Mix everything together with your hands to form a dough - it will be quite wet. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 mins until smooth. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size - this will take 1-2 hrs depending on how warm the room is. You could rise the dough in the fridge overnight, but make sure you bring to room temperature before moving on to the next step.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few moments. Roll out to a 45 x 40cm rectangle, with the longest edge facing you. Mix together the butter and sugar for the filling, and spread all over the dough. Follow with the mincemeat, then sprinkle over the apricots and cherries. Roll up firmly, starting from one of the long sides. Using a sharp knife, cut off either end of the roll to neaten, then slice into 8 even pieces. Arrange, cut-side up, on an oiled tray, leaving about 1cm between each bun and making sure the tail ends are pointing inwards. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to prove until doubled in size - about 30 mins. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and bake for 22-25 mins until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack. Melt the jam with ½ tbsp water and brush over the buns, then leave to cool.
• Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a runny icing. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing back and forth over the buns. Leave for 10 mins to set before eating. Will keep in a sealed container for up to 3 days.