Chocolate & Marzipan Buns

Soft, buns filled with homemade marzipan, chopped nuts and melted dark chocolate. Best enjoyed freshly baked whilst still warm and the chocolate and filling are still soft and oozy.

These wonderful sweet treats were our Christmas Breakfast this year. Fresh from the oven, with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, soft Christmas music playing in the background, fairly lights on the Christmas tree glowing and candles lit, whilst sitting at our little kitchen table with a view of the grey and rainy sky outside.

These are definitely becoming a new Christmas morning breakfast tradition.

INSPIRED BY

This recipe is my take on Nigel Slaters incredible warm marzipan buns.

I love reading Nigel Slater cook books. They are not the typical recipes books, but more like reading a novel or short stories which includes his favourite recipes. A cooking chronicle. We have spend many hours sitting and reading his cookbooks (our collection is now at 6, with 3 of them signed copies). What I love about his recipes is that they are always simple, made with minimal ingredients, but always packed of flavour.

One of the few changes I made from the original recipes is swapping the store-bought marzipan with an easy homemade marzipan. I prefer making my own as it is not as sweet as store-bought.

This recipes is a lot easier to make than you might think. Honestly the hardest part was getting up early enough to have them ready in time for breakfast and to not eat the marzipan whilst making these.

These buns are made with a simple yeast based dough, filled with pistachios, almonds, homemade marzipan and dark chocolate pieces. Baked until golden.

TO MAKE THE MARZIPAN YOU WILL NEED

• ground almonds

• icing/ powdered sugar

• almond essence

TO MAKE THE BUNS, YOU WILL NEED

• plain flour

• instant dry yeast

• golden castor sugar

• pinch of salt

• almond milk

• water

AND FOR THE FILLING

• dark chocolate

• orange zest

• pistachios

• almonds

• and homemade marzipan

OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

orange & mince "pie" star bread

vegan apple pie turnovers

vegan carrot cake cinnamon rolls

blueberry galette

THESE ARE

• incredibly delicious

• perfect for a special breakfast or brunch

• indulgent, but not overly sweet

• easier to make than you might think

• perfect for Easter or Christmas

• and vegan

CHOCOLATE & MARZIPAN BUNS

Soft, buns filled with homemade marzipan, nuts and melted chocolate. Best enjoyed freshly baked whilst still warm and the chocolate is still soft and oozy.

Yields: makes 5 buns

Time: about 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DOUGH

• 150g plain flour

• 2g instant dried yeast

• 1/2 tsp golden castor sugar

• about 115ml warm water

• pinch of salt

• 2 - 3 tbsp almond milk, for brushing

FOR THE MARZIPAN

• 90g ground almonds

• 70g castor sugar

• 1 1/2 tbsp water

• 1/2 tsp almond extract

FOR THE FILLING

• 125g homemade marzipan

• zest from 1 large orange or 2 clementines

• 30g pistachios, finely chopped

• 25g flaked almonds, finely chopped

• 15g dark chocolate (make sure it is vegan), 70% cacao or more, finely chopped

TO FINISH (optional)

• More chopped nuts or icing sugar for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

TO MAKE THE DOUGH

1. In a large mixing bowl add the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Give a quick mix. Gradually add the warm water and using your hands work the mixture until a soft rollable dough. It will be sticky, but that is okay.

2. Tip the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 6 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour and knead again.

3. Transfer the dough back into the bowl, dust the dough with a tiny bit of flour, cover with clingfilm and let it proof in a warm place for 1 hour or until well risen. The dough should be about double in size.

TO MAKE THE MARZIPAN

1. Whilst the dough is proving, make the marzipan by mixing all the ingredients until well combined. Shape the mixture into a sausage like shape or a ball, cover in clingfilm and place in the fridge until needed.

TO MAKE THE MIXTURE

1. Chop the pistachios, almond flakes, orange zest and dark chocolate and transfer into a small mixing bowl. Add 125g of the marzipan and mix the ingredients using a fork or your hands.

2. Divide the mixture into 5 even portions

TO MAKE THE BUNS

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and lightly grease a bread baking tin (I used a 21 x 11cm bread tin).

2. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 5 even balls.

3. Flatten and roll each into a small disc, but don't roll it out too thin. The size should be about 8cm in diameter.

4. Add the marzipan mixture into the centre of the dough and bring all the sides together so that it covers the filing. Pinch the dough together to seal completely and place into the baking tin (with the part where the dough is pinched together) facing down. The smooth side should be facing up.

5. Repeat with the rest of the dough and place them in the baking tin in a zig-zag like pattern to ensure they all fit in.

6. Brush the buns with a bit of almond milk and sprinkle with chopped nuts if you wish.

7. Bake the buns for 15 - 20 min, or until golden.

8. Dust with icing sugar, if you wish (optional)

9. Best enjoyed warm whilst the filling is still oozing and warm.

Have you made this?

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