Mincemeat pinwheels (mincemeat Chelsea buns)

Mincemeat pinwheels are made with a soft and chewy bread dough in the form of a spiral, filled with fruity mincemeat and topped with a sugar glaze.

They are a variation on the classic British Chelsea bun but are filled with sweet mincemeat, the type you would use to make your mince pies or frangipane mince pies. For this pinwheel recipe you can use either shop bought mincemeat or homemade mincemeat such as this vegetarian mincemeat which is made without suet.

If you like cinnamon rolls or chocolate Chelsea buns you will love these sticky mincemeat pinwheels especially when they are served hot straight from the oven. They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, a teatime treat or snack.

The quantities in this easy pinwheel recipe will make 12 buns.

Ingredients

• 375g bread flour - (strong flour) for the dough plus extra for rolling out.
• 3 teaspoons easy bake yeast
• 50g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 100 ml milk
• 80 ml water
• 45g butter - either salted or unsalted)
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 1 medium sized jar of sweet mincemeat - the type used to make mince pies
• 20g sugar for the glaze
• 2 tablespoons water for the glaze
• A dash of olive oil to line the baking tin

How to prepare

Start by preparing the dough. Weigh 375g strong bread flour into a large bowl. Add 3 teaspoons easy bake yeast, 50g granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together and then put to one side.

Next, measure 100ml milk and 80ml water and pour into the medium sized saucepan. Add 45g butter. Heat gently until the butter has just melted and then then stir. Be careful not to overheat otherwise it will be too hot for the yeast. Also, it is important to add it to the bowl of dry ingredients (with the yeast) before it cools down so that the liquid is warm enough to activate the yeast. Add the melted butter/milk/water mixture to the dry ingredients and add the egg. Stir using a fork and then mix well with an electric mixer with dough hooks for a few minutes. Form the dough into a single mass using your hands. The dough is likely to be sticky at this stage and it is a good idea to sprinkle a little extra flour over the surface of the dough ball to make it easier to handle.

Cover the bowl of dough with a large plate and leave in a warm place to prove for around an hour.

Take the dough from the bowl and place on the floured pastry board. Using your hands, carefully stretch the dough to form a rectangle of about 30cm by 40cm (12" by 16"), trying to keep the dough an even thickness. Thinly spread the mincemeat over the dough. Don't be tempted to use too much mincemeat as it may seep out when the pinwheels are being baked.

Carefully start to roll the dough to form a roll 30cm (12") long. In the photograph above that would mean rolling from left to right, or right to left.

Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into twelve equal slices. The easiest way to do this is to cut the roll in half, then each half in half again, then each quarter in to three. The dough is likely to squash slightly when it is cut but the pinwheels can easily be reformed using your fingers.

Lightly oil and line a 30cm by 25cm (12" by 10") baking tin. Arrange the twelve pinwheels in the tin, leaving a small gap around each one to allow room for expansion. Leave in a warm place for around half an hour or so before baking.

Bake the buns at 170^oC, 325^oF, gas mark 3 until they look ready and are slightly golden on top. This is likely to take around 20 minutes or so, but I suggest checking after about 10 minutes, and then checking again regularly to avoid overcooking. Turn the tin around part way through the cooking time so that they cook evenly.

To glaze

Prepare the glaze while the buns are baking by placing 20g granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.

When the mincemeat pinwheels are baked, remove from the oven and place the tin on a wire cooling rack. Lightly brush some of the sugar glaze over the tops of the buns while they are still warm.

The Chelsea buns are at their best when hot and can be eaten straight from the oven.

Substitutions

If you don't have mincemeat you can use a mixture of raisins, brown sugar and spices such as mixed spice, cinnamon or pumpkin spice.

Prepare ahead instructions

The mincemeat pinwheels can be prepared ahead of time, stored in the fridge and baked just before serving them.

Storage instructions

1. The individual mincemeat pinwheels can be frozen in an airtight container. They can be defrosted and reheated in a microwave or oven.
2. The baked buns should be stored in an airtight container and will keep well for a couple of days. Although the bread will loose its lightness, if they are reheated either in an oven or microwave before serving they will be as good as when they were freshly baked.

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