Hint of Anise, Sticky Sweet Cicely Buns, Sunday Brunch recipe from Gifts from the Garden

I let crafty ideas from Gifts from the Garden (Kyle Books USA, June 2013) by Debora Robertson pass me by. Among them you will find food recipes you can bring to a party or a housewarming.

Sticky sweet cicely buns

Sweet cicely seeds add a hint of anise flavour to
these sticky buns. They’re a delicious contribution to take along to a brunch
or afternoon tea.

Makes 12

1 tablespoon fresh sweet cicely seeds

450g strong white bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

7g sachet fast-action yeast

Finely grated zest of 1 small orange

50g caster sugar

80g butter, melted and cooled

2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten

150ml tepid milk

For the filling

60g dried apricots

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

85g light muscovado sugar

60g pecan nuts

For the topping

120g melted butter, plus extra for
greasing the trays

120ml runny honey, warmed, or maple
syrup

50g light muscovado sugar

80g pecan nuts, roughly chopped

2 baking trays, 40 x 27 x 2cm

Reserve 2 teaspoons of the sweet cicely seeds. Place the rest of the sweet cicely seeds on a chopping board and chop them finely with a knife. If they’re more dried
than green, pound them until fine using a pestle and mortar.

Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large bowl. Whisk in the
chopped sweet cicely, yeast, orange zest and the caster sugar.

Make a well in the middle, pour in the butter, eggs and milk and
mix until you have a soft dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until silky and
elastic.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a plastic bag and leave
to rise until doubled in size.

This takes 1–2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

To make the filling, put the apricots in a small bowl and add just
enough boiling water to cover. Leave for 15 minutes, drain, pat dry and
chop roughly.

Meanwhile, put the reserved whole cicely seeds into a food
processor with the cinnamon, muscovado sugar and pecans and pulse until
quite fine.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it
lightly for a minute.

Divide it in two and roll each piece into a 20 x 30cm rectangle.

Melt the butter for the topping. Brush some over the rectangles of
dough and sprinkle half the nut mixture and half the apricots over each.
Press the filling into the dough.

Roll each rectangle up into a tight cylinder, starting at the
widest end.

Cut each roll into six pieces.

Brush the baking trays with melted butter.

Mix the melted butter, honey/syrup and sugar together and spoon
into the bottom of each tray, spreading it out for an even coating.

Scatter over the nuts. Put the buns in the trays, leaving about
2.5cm between each one.

Cover with tea-towels and leave in a warm place for 40 minutes
until slightly risen.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4.

Remove the tea towels and bake the buns for 30–35 minutes until
they are golden and feel firm.

Immediately turn them over and place on a wire rack to cool.

The buns are best cooled, stored in an airtight
container and eaten within a day of baking.

(* Recipe excerpted from 'Gifts from the Garden by Debora Robertson -published by Kyle Books USA, June 2013- all rights reserved)