Today’s recipe for Mincemeat Cinnamon Rolls (Mincemeat Chelsea Buns) is a stunner! A soft enriched dough which is rolled up with mincemeat, baked in a “tear and share” round.
(Mincemeat Chelsea Buns)
Recipe for Mincemeat Cinnamon Rolls at the end of this post
Today’s recipe for Mincemeat Cinnamon Rolls (Mincemeat Chelsea Buns) is a stunner! A soft enriched dough which is rolled up with mincemeat, baked in a “tear and share” round, and is then iced with citrus icing before toasted flaked almonds and Rudolph red cherries are added for the final flourish.
The dough is made using the basic enriched dough I used for my Sourdough Hot Cross Buns, but uses milk in place of the water, for s softer crumb, which is more suited to cinnamon rolls and Chelsea buns.
The citrus icing really is the icing on the cake with this wonderful recipe, and the flaked almonds add that essential crunch. And, as it is nearly Christmas, I just had to add some red noses in the form of glace cherries!
So, are these cinnamon rolls or Chelsea buns? It’s a hard one to answer, as this recipe incorporates elements from both recipes. However, cinnamon rolls tend to have an enriched plain dough, with a buttery cinnamon swirl, whilst Chelsea buns have fruit added to the dough and have a buttery mixed spice filling.
Cinnamon buns tend to be iced, as mine are, and Chelsea buns usually have a sugary topping – so, this really is a hybrid of both recipes, but using my Boozy Fat Free Mincemeat. You can use a more traditional mincemeat such as my Traditional Mincemeat for Christmas Mince Pies, or a high quality commercial mincemeat, but I think this recipe works better without the additional fat in the mincemeat.
If you live in a country where mincemeat is not available, you can make one of my recipes, or just use some mixed dried fruits which have been soaked in some brandy, with a little brown sugar and spices added.
Serve these at room temperature, making sure they have cooled down sufficiently, as the mincemeat could burn your tongue. They are best served on the same day, which never seems to be a problem in my house!
You can freeze them before icing them, then just defrost overnight, and add the icing before serving them the next day.
Step-by-Step Shaping & Baking Process
- In the morning, the dough will have risen overnight and you will have a large, round ball of smooth dough that’s ready to bake after the rolls have been filled and shaped.
- Line a 9″ (18cm) round cake tin with non-stick baking parchment. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and using the palm of your hand, gently press it out into a large rectangular shape, about 14″ x 10″ (35cm x 20cm). Cover the dough and set aside to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/375F/Gas mark 6 whilst the dough is resting.
- After half an hour, sprinkle the cinnamon over the dough, and then spoon the mincemeat over all of the dough, right up to the edge. Roll the dough up from the long side, so you have a long sausage shape.
- Then cut the dough into 8 sections with an oiled knife or a dough scraper. Each roll should be about 2″ (5cms).
- Place the rolls cut side up in the prepared tin, in a round of 7 rolls with the 8th roll in the middle.
- At this stage you can allow it to rest and rise again for up to 1 hour. You can also bake it straight away, which I normally do. Bake in the middle of the pre-heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the rolls/buns are golden brown, well risen and sound hollow when you tap them from underneath.
- Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes, before lifting out the rolls/buns in the baking paper, and allowing them to cool on a wire cooling rack.
- Icing: Whilst the rolls/buns are baking, make the icing. Mix the citrus juice with the icing sugar, bit by bit, until you have a thick and smooth icing.
- Once the rolls/buns are cool, spread the icing over the top, then scatter the toasted flaked almonds over the icing and place a cherry half on each roll/bun.
Tips and Substitutions
- Make sure the butter is not too hot when adding it to the dough.
- Make sure the milk is not too hot when adding it to the dough, it should be tepid.
- You can use normal yeast in place of sourdough starter, you will need 2 x 7g packets, add it in stage 1 and proceed exactly as directed above, it is still best to allow the dough to prove overnight too.
- Use dried mixed fruit in place of mincemeat, which has been soaked in brandy and has had sugar and spices added.
- To make this vegan, use a plant based milk and a plant based margarine. Make sure the mincemeat is also vegan.
- Use a mixture of bread flours, such as spelt, brown bread flour or wholemeal bread flour.
Pin Me for Later
More Mincemeat and Bread Recipes
- Mincemeat Scones for the Christmas Tea Time Table
- Easy Microwave Mincemeat Christmas Pudding Recipe
- Festive Baked Apples with Mincemeat and Honey
- Iced Rum & Almond Sourdough Stollen
- No-Knead Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- Eight Grain Cheese & Onion Sourdough Wreath
- Brioches à Tête for a Lazy Weekend Brunch or Breakfast
- Pull-Apart Buttery Garlic Dinner Rolls
- Lussekatter – St Lucia Saffron and Cardamom Sweet Buns for St Lucy’s Day
Pin Me Too
Recipe for Mincemeat Cinnamon Rolls
Mincemeat Cinnamon Rolls (Mincemeat Chelsea Buns)
Today's recipe for Mincemeat Cinnamon Rolls (Mincemeat Chelsea Buns) is a stunner! A soft enriched dough which is rolled up with mincemeat, baked in a "tear and share" round, and is then iced with citrus icing before toasted flaked almonds and Rudolph red cherries are added for the final flourish.
The dough is made using the basic enriched dough I used for my Sourdough Hot Cross Buns, but uses milk in place of the water, for s softer crumb, which is more suited to cinnamon rolls and Chelsea buns.
The citrus icing really is the icing on the cake with this wonderful recipe, and the flaked almonds add that essential crunch. And, as it is nearly Christmas, I just had to add some red noses in the form of glace cherries!
So, are these cinnamon rolls or Chelsea buns? It's a hard one to answer, as this recipe incorporates elements from both recipes. However, cinnamon rolls tend to have an enriched plain dough, with a buttery cinnamon swirl, whilst Chelsea buns have fruit added to the dough and have a buttery mixed spice filling.
Cinnamon buns tend to be iced, as mine are, and Chelsea buns usually have a sugary topping - so, this really is a hybrid of both recipes, but using my Boozy Fat Free Mincemeat. You can use a more traditional mincemeat such as my Traditional Mincemeat for Christmas Mince Pies, or a high quality commercial mincemeat, but I think this recipe works better without the additional fat in the mincemeat.
If you live in a country where mincemeat is not available, you can make one of my recipes, or just use some mixed dried fruits which have been soaked in some brandy, with a little brown sugar and spices added.
Serve these at room temperature, making sure they have cooled down sufficiently, as the mincemeat could burn your tongue. They are best served on the same day, which never seems to be a problem in my house!
You can freeze them before icing them, then just defrost overnight, and add the icing before serving them the next day.
Ingredients
- Rolls/Buns:
- 150g recently fed sourdough starter
- (Feed it with 90g flour and 90g water 2 to 3 hours before you need to start the dough)
- 10g sea salt
- 320ml tepid milk
- 80g melted butter
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 25g soft brown sugar
- 500g extra strong white bread flour
- Filling:
- 350g mincemeat (preferably fat-free)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Icing and Topping:
- 150g icing sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon or orange juice to make a thick icing
- 50g toasted flaked almonds
- 4 x glace cherries, halved
Instructions
- Rolls/Buns: 2 to 3 hours before you want to start your cinnamon buns, take the starter out of the fridge and feed it with 90g filtered water and 90g strong white bread flour. Mix well, cover with cling film (or a shower cap) and set to one side to start working. After 2 to 3 hours the starter should be frothy and light with lots of bubbles and it may be making a noise, as in singing! It's now ready to use. Put the covered starter back in the fridge until it is needed next time you want to bake.
- Place the sourdough starter into a large bowl and add the salt, milk, melted butter, beaten egg, sugar and the flour. Mix until it has all come together in a rough ball.
- After an hour, uncover it and with your hands, bring the dough from the outside, and fold it into the middle. Do this for about 15 to 20 times - I find it is easier if I rotate the bowl at the same time. Cover it and set to one side.
- Do the folding and turning action two or three more times over the next few hours, by this time the dough will be smooth, elastic and sticky. I start this at about 3pm to 4pm and the dough is ready to bulk prove overnight at about 8pm to 9pm.
- Once the dough is smooth and elastic (see above) and it will have risen by now too, cover with cling film/shower cap and set to one side in a cool place to prove overnight. (I use my pantry which is about 10 degrees C or my fridge if I have room)
- In the morning, the dough will have risen overnight and you will have a large, round ball of smooth dough that's ready to bake after the rolls have been filled and shaped.
- Line a 9" (18cm) round cake tin with non-stick baking parchment. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and using the palm of your hand, gently press it out into a large rectangular shape, about 14" x 10" (35cm x 20cm). Cover the dough and set aside to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/375F/Gas mark 6 whilst the dough is resting.
- After half an hour, sprinkle the cinnamon over the dough, and then spoon the mincemeat over all of the dough, right up to the edge. Roll the dough up from the long side, so you have a long sausage shape.
- Then cut the dough into 8 sections with an oiled knife or a dough scraper. Each roll should be about 2" (5cms).
- Place the rolls cut side up in the prepared tin, in a round of 7 rolls with the 8th roll in the middle.
- At this stage you can allow it to rest and rise again for up to 1 hour. You can also bake it straight away, which I normally do. Bake in the middle of the pre-heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the rolls/buns are golden brown, well risen and sound hollow when you tap them from underneath.
- Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes, before lifting out the rolls/buns in the baking paper, and allowing them to cool on a wire cooling rack.
- Icing: Whilst the rolls/buns are baking, make the icing. Mix the citrus juice with the icing sugar, bit by bit, until you have a thick and smooth icing.
- Once the rolls/buns are cool, spread the icing over the top, then scatter the toasted flaked almonds over the icing and place a cherry half on each roll/bun.
- You can place the buns on a serving platter and allow people to "tear and share" or you can separate them before serving.
Notes
Make sure the butter is not too hot when adding it to the dough.
Make sure the milk is not too hot when adding it to the dough, it should be tepid.
You can use normal yeast in place of sourdough starter, you will need 2 x 7g packets, add it in stage 1 and proceed exactly as directed above, it is still best to allow the dough to prove overnight too.
Use dried mixed fruit in place of mincemeat, which has been soaked in brandy and has had sugar and spices added.
To make this vegan, use a plant based milk and a plant based margarine. Make sure the mincemeat is also vegan.
Use a mixture of bread flours, such as spelt, brown bread flour or wholemeal bread flour.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Rolls/Buns Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 553Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 48mgSodium 651mgCarbohydrates 90gFiber 4gSugar 31gProtein 13g
Mary says
Lovely change from Fruit Mince Pies. Will give this a go.
In your recipe you say to spread Marzipan over the dough rather than Fruit Mince. Might confuse some readers. Mind you I would be happy to spread Marzipan and a bit might sneak in as well!! :))
Karen Burns-Booth says
I wrote marzipan instead of mincemeat! Sorry – I’ve already edited it Karen
Christine says
Hi Karen,
In your directions you mention marzipan but it wasn’t listed in all the ingredients ?
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hahaha! Well spotted – it should say mincemeat! I’ve changed it now – but yes! You could add marzipan
Di M. says
Oh my goodness, these cinnamon rolls sound delicious. I look forward to making them sometime soon. Thank you for sharing.
Karen Burns-Booth says
I hope you enjoy these if you make them Di! Karen
Tessa says
At stage 3, you say to add the dried fruit to the dough mix and keep turning it in the bowl, there is not dried fruit mix in this unless you are using it instead of mincemeat, but then it would be spread out instead of the mincemeat before rolling up. I think that this bit comes from your Chelsea Buns Recipe 🙂
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hi Tessa – no,I forgot to edit it from my hot cross buns recipe! Thanks for pointing it out – I’ve edited it now – that’s what you get when you’re writing your notes up at midnight!
Karen
Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes says
Thanks for sharing, these look lovely perfect for a Christmas afternoon tea 🙂
buttler says
Looks amazing…the ingredients seem to call for mincemeat in the dough, but I don’t see that in the instructions. Can you clarify?
Karen Burns-Booth says
It’s here:
Step 9: After half an hour, sprinkle the cinnamon over the dough, and then spoon the mincemeat over all of the dough, right up to the edge. Roll the dough up from the long side, so you have a long sausage shape.
buttler says
Thanks alots…….
Karen Burns-Booth says
My pleasure