Sticky Buns with Apricot and Nutella®
Dried apricots and tender dough pair perfectly with a little touch of Nutella®, displayed in a festive Christmas tree shape.
INGREDIENTS for 14 portions
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup finely chopped almonds
½ cup finely chopped dried apricots
210g Nutella® – 1 heaped tsp (15g per portion)
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar and butter and mix well. Add flour, yeast and salt and mix everything together to form a dough. If the dough is too dry, add a little more warm water; if it’s too wet, add a little more flour.
Knead the dough in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface until it becomes smooth and springy. Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl and loosely cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it roughly doubles in size – this will take about 1 hour depending on how warm the room is.
Place the dough on the floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle about 1” in thickness. Spread the dough with the softened butter and sprinkle brown sugar evenly all over its surface. Repeat with the almonds and finely chopped apricots.
Starting from the longest end, tightly roll the dough into itself until you end up with a long roll. Cut the roll into 14 slices.
Arrange the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow the buns to rise for a further 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 180° C. Bake for 20 minutes. Drizzle 15g of Nutella® on the tree to represent as garland.
Tip: The sticky buns are best served the day they are baked.
