Nutella Cherry Buns

Fate was calling me to make cinnamon buns. I was listening to a podcast of America's Test Kitchen and they were doing a recipe for cinnamon buns. Then I was hopping around on TV last night and Alton Brown was doing cinnamon buns on Good Eats. My favorite cinnamon bun recipe is from Joy the Baker.  But I didn't have any cream cheese so I decided to adapt it a bit and use Nutella instead. How could you go wrong with Nutella?

Nutella Cherry Buns

1 package of yeast (2 1/4 t)
1/4 c warm water (not over 110 degrees - aaahhh not OOOWW!)
2T brown sugar

2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 c milk, room temperature
1 t salt
1/4 c sugar
2 3/4 - 3 c flour
1 stick butter (8T)

Filling:
1/2 c Nutella
1/2 c dried cherries, chopped

Icing
1 c confectioner's sugar
2 T milk

Mix yeast water and brown sugar together and set aside. Meanwhile in mixing bowl, with the dough hook attached, add the eggs, vanilla, sugar,  milk, salt, and 2 c of the flour.  When yeast mixture has started to bubble up, add it to the flour mixture.  Mix the dough for a good 4-6 minutes.  Add additional flour as the dough starts to come together.  The dough should be sticky but not totally sticking to the sides of the bowl.  Add 1T of butter into the dough at a time until it is all incorporated. Put dough in a greased bowl and cover.  Let sit until doubled in size - about 1-2 hours.

Punch dough down and turn out onto floured surface.  Roll dough out to a rectangle about 12x18.  Spread Nutella over dough, leaving about a 1" border. Sprinkle dried cherries on top.

This is using only 1/4 c cherries hmmm could've used chocolate chips to make up for the missing cherries

Roll the long side of the dough up.  Seal edges. With the seam side down, cut dough in half.  Align the 2 halves and cute them again in half.  You should now have 4 pieces of dough.

Cut each of the pieces of dough into 3 pieces.

Place in greased 13x9 pan.  Cover and let rise again - about 1-2 hours OR cover and put in the refrigerator overnight.

Pre-second rise

Post-second rise

Bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes.  If you refrigerated them, let them sit for 15 minutes at room temperature before baking.

While the buns are cooling on a rack, mix together the confectioner's sugar and 1T of milk. Gradually add the second tablespoon.  You may need to add a little more to get a smooth consistency. Do not add too much or you will be in the constant battle of more sugar - oh no now more milk, now more sugar in an endless loop (almost as bad as the giggle loop). Drizzle icing over buns and serve.

I usually do the refrigerator rise. It is nice to just have to pop them in the oven in the morning. By the time you are done in the shower, you have nice warm buns  (pun intended).  Definitely try the cinnamon version, they are so good (and this version too).