Air fryer Christmas cake
Use your air fryer to make this year's Christmas cake. Packed with dried fruit, feed it every fortnight with a drizzle of brandy or rum, until ready to serve
Christmas pudding buns
Serves 10 - 12
More effort
Prep:
Cook:
plus at least 2 hrs 30 mins proving
Turn leftover Christmas pudding into these sweet buns. ‘Tangzhong’ is the Chinese word for the roux-like paste that gives the buns their soft, fluffy texture
Skip to ingredients
- 125ml whole milk
- 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 350g strong white bread flourplus extra for dusting
- 50g caster sugar
- 50g unsalted buttersoftened and cut into cubes
- neutral-tasting oil (such as sunflower)for proving
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
For the tangzhong
- 20g strong white bread flour
- 60ml whole milk
For the filling
- 70-100g leftover Christmas puddingcrumbled
- 40g light brown soft sugar
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 120g buttersoftened
- 1 small orangezested
Nutrition: Per serving (12)
- kcal291
- fat14g
- saturates8g
- carbs36g
- sugars12g
- fibre1g
- protein5g
- salt0.33g
Method
step 1
For the tangzhong, put the flour, milk and 30ml water in a small saucepan. Whisk over a medium heat until it thickens into a paste, then set aside and leave to cool to room temperature.
step 2
Pour the milk into a saucepan and set over a low heat until just warm. Or, warm in the microwave in 10-second blasts, being careful not to boil it. Stir in the yeast until fully combined. Mix the flour, sugar and 1 tsp salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the motor running, mix in the egg, tangzhong and warm milk mixture. Knead for 2 mins, then add the butter, a little at a time. Continue to knead for 7-8 mins until soft, elastic and slightly sticky. Form into a ball and put in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and set aside to prove for 2 hrs, or until doubled in size. Or, chill overnight for at least 12 hrs. (Chilling the dough makes it easier to work with and cut.)
step 3
Line a high-sided 20 x 30cm baking or roasting tin with baking parchment. To make the filling, tip the pudding pieces into a bowl. Stir in the sugar, mixed spice, butter, orange zest and a large pinch of salt. Beat to combine.
step 4
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it’s 30 x 45cm. Evenly spread over the filling up to the edges. Roll it up lengthwise from the longest side to form a log, brushing off any excess flour as you roll. Trim the uneven ends, if you like, then cut into 10-12 equal-sized buns using a sharp, serrated knife, being careful not to squash them (gently saw through the dough if it’s at room temperature). Arrange snugly in the tin. Cover and leave to prove for 30-45 mins in a warm spot until doubled in size.
step 5
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Bake the buns for 25-30 mins until deep brown and cooked through. Meanwhile, mix the golden syrup with 2 tsp boiling water. Liberally brush the syrup glaze over the hot baked buns, then leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack until just warm. Once completely cool, will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.
