Author: Susan Murray, www.awomancooksinasheville.com
Ingredients
For the Buns
1cchopped dried apricots
1cwarm coconut milk
3cplus 4 tbsp bread flour
¼csugar
3tbspsweetened flaked coconut
4 ¼tspyeast
1tspsalt
2tspvanilla
½tspalmond extract
3tbspmelted butter
1egg
For the Crosses
6tbspflour
6tbspcoconut milk
1 ½tspsugar
For the Glaze
2tbsphoney
1tbspwater
Instructions
Put the flour, sugar, flaked coconut, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Stir it together well and make a hollow in the center of the mixture. Add the lukewarm coconut milk, vanilla and almond extracts, melted butter and egg into the hollow.
With the mixer on low, stir for one minute. Increase the speed to medium/medium-high. Initially the dough should come together and pull away from the sides. As you continue to knead it, it will become sticky. If it is very wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 3 tablespoons. If it is too dry, add a little more coconut milk. After 4 minutes, add the diced apricots. Continue kneading for up to a total of ten minutes. The dough will be sticky and stretchy.
Place the dough in a lightly oil bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise. Let it rise until it is double in size.( 1 ½ - 2 hours)
When risen, remove the dough from the bowl and punch it down on a counter lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Knead it three or four times.
Split the dough into 24 even pieces. Make a round ball out of each piece and place the buns on a cookie sheet that has been lightly oiled then lined with parchment paper. Leave enough room between each bun for them to rise to double their size. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Once the buns have completed their second rise, make a thick paste out of flour, coconut milk and sugar. Place the paste in a small baggie and push it down into one corner of the baggie. Snip off the corner of the baggie and pipe a dough cross onto each bun.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the buns are golden. While the buns are baking, mix together the honey and water, stirring until the honey is dissolved.
When the buns are done, remove them to a wire rack to cool. While they are hot brush them with the honey glaze.
The buns will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Serve them warm or at room temperature. If you like, cut them in half, toast them and serve buttered.