Love buns

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PREP TIME

25 min

Makes

12 love buns

* PLUS Cooking time: 5 minutes, Baking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs , at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp butter , at room temperature
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 2 egg whites
  • 4 tbsp corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • colourful sprinkles , optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cups or generously spray with vegetable oil. For the buns, place sugar in a food processor. Whirl until powdery. Measure out 1/2 cup (125 mL) and set aside. Leave remaining sugar in food processor.
  • Add eggs, butter, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla to processor. Pulse just until smooth, scraping down side if necessary. Pulse in milk just until evenly mixed. Spoon into muffin cups, filling about halfway.
  • Bake in centre of preheated oven until golden and a cake tester inserted into centre of buns comes out clean, about 15 min. Remove pan to a rack. Let stand 5 min., then carefully remove each from tin and cool on rack. Once cool, they will keep well, stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or wrap individually in plastic, then overwrap with foil and freeze up to 1 month.
  • Don’t begin topping until cupcakes are completely cool. Fill a large saucepan with about 2 in. (5 cm) water. To create a double boiler, find a large heatproof bowl that will fit in saucepan, but not touch the water. Remove bowl from pan.
  • Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat so it’s barely simmering. Place egg whites, syrup, salt and cream of tartar in bowl. Then set bowl in pan over simmering water. Using an electric mixer set on high, gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar. Continue beating until icing is thick, glossy and stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted, 5 to 8 min. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Continue beating until icing has cooled, 2 to 4 min. Swirl icing over cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles.

Nutrition (per serving)

  • Calories
  • 216,
  • Protein
  • 2.9 g,
  • Carbohydrates
  • 30.6 g,
  • Fat
  • 9.6 g,
  • Sodium
  • 336 mg.

These three-bite buns are really just cupcakes with a cute name. Recipe from Nigella Lawson’s Feast: Food that Celebrates Life (Alfred A. Knopf Canada).

KITCHEN TIP

Nigella’s ‘marshmallow’ topping is delicious, but potentially tricky. You’ll need a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl and saucepan that will create one) plus a hand-held electric mixer. Still, it’s not a foolproof method and sometimes depends on the humidity in your kitchen. If you’re feeling uneasy about it, top the love buns with your favourite store-bought icing or swirls of vanilla-scented whipped cream.

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