Berry Iced Buns with Cream and Homemade Jam

For the dough, melt the butter and set aside. Add water and milk to a jug and crumble in the yeast. Leave for 5–10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. Add sugar and beaten egg.

Mix vanilla sugar with 250 grams (1 cup) of flour, then pour in the liquid ingredients. Stir vigorously until well-combined and then gradually add more flour until a workable dough consistency is reached (remember the dough should be sticky when turned out onto a floured work surface). Knead the dough for around 8–10 minutes until it is elastic and smooth. Place back in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for around an hour.

In the meantime, prepare the homemade berry jam. Mix berries, honey and water in a pan and cook until they have reduced and are nice and thick (about 20 minutes). Halfway through cooking the berries, pour off around 2 tablespoons of the juice for the icing (you will need to strain it to get rid of any fruit lumps), and set aside. When jam is ready, take off heat and cool completely.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Punch the dough down and knead for another minute or two until smooth. Shape into 7 or 8 balls. Place on a grease-proof lined baking tray, cover and leave on top of the oven (or another warm place) for another 45–60 minutes.

Bake for around 10 minutes (keep an eye on them because they brown very quickly) and then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the icing, add the icing sugar to a bowl and pour in the 2 tablespoons of berry sauce. Stir until combined. Gradually add 1/2 tablespoon at a time of cold water until a thick icing is achieved (you don’t want it so runny that it rolls off the buns, but at the same time, you need to be able to work with it). Whip the cream and spoon into a piping bag.

To assemble the buns, cut them in half and spread some berry jam on the bottom halves. Pipe over some cream and then either take the top and dip it in the icing or carefully spread it over the tops using a knife. Place the tops back on, and you’re ready for action!

Store in the fridge until ready to eat. Enjoy!