Photography and styling: Tilly Pamment
Spiced apple scrolls… Yes, they’re as delicious as they sound. Soft and fluffy with tart cinnamon apples, butter, sugar, and plenty of sweet, warm spice, this is a recipe for the sweet-tooths among us. I have to admit that it has taken me a while to appreciate the understated beauty that is the apple. Often overlooked in favour of their flashier, more exotic fruit-bowl friends, it is only fairly recently that I have come to see just how wonderful they really are. In terms of reliability, versatility and accessibility, apples really can’t be beaten, can they? And that’s before we even start thinking about what they offer in the flavour department!
These spiced apple scrolls make excellent use of surplus seasonal fruit and will be devoured soon after cooking, thanks to their tantalising aroma. Cinnamon and apple – the culinary equivalent of a big, warm hug if ever there was one – is at once soothing and comforting (as well as wildly delicious). These spiced apple scrolls hit all the right notes and are particularly fine served warm from the oven with a big pot of tea.
How long will the apple scrolls keep?
These spiced apple scrolls are at their best eaten warm or at room temperature on the day they are baked.
What other flavours can you use in scrolls?
Apple and walnut is a popular flavour combination for scrolls, or you can add delicious, creamy custard to apple scrolls instead of icing, if preferred. For a quick sweet treat, Nutella-filled scrolls will hit the spot. If you’re after a savoury version, try making fresh cheese scrolls, or cheese and Vegemite, or cheese and bacon – scrumptious!
Ingredients
Method
First, start the dough by placing milk, ground cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla and orange zest in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and bring to just below a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Next, place the bread flour, salt, caster sugar and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix briefly. Stir the double cream into the warm milk mixture and add this, along with the egg, to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until combined, before increasing to medium speed and continuing to mix for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. This is a soft dough, so don’t expect it to ball cleanly – it should be stretchy and elastic, and no longer stick to your fingers when pinched. Use buttered hands to transfer the dough to a well-buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place somewhere warm and allow to prove until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
Next, make the cinnamon apples. Peel and core the apples and cut into 1-2cm pieces. Place the diced apple, orange juice, and ground cinnamon into a medium saucepan. Mix well, then cover with a lid and place over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to the boil, before turning the heat down a little and allowing fruit to bubble, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until tender, but still holding its shape. Take the lid off, and cook for a minute or so more, stirring gently, until there is no liquid at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Next, make the spiced butter filling by combining all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to beat well until smooth. Set aside.
When dough has risen, line a baking tray with baking paper. Gently press the air out of the dough and place it onto a clean work surface, dusted with a little extra flour. Roll the dough out to a rectangle roughly 30cm x 40cm. Mix the cooled cinnamon apples into the spiced butter filling, then spread the mixture evenly over the dough. Starting with one of the long sides, roll the dough up into a log, finishing with the seam underneath. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 8 equal rounds. Place rounds, spiral-side up, nestled closely together onto the lined baking tray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside somewhere warm for a further 30-60 minutes to prove again until light and risen.
Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced. When buns have risen, bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
While the buns are cooking, make the cream cheese icing by combining softened butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to beat thoroughly until smooth. Add the icing sugar, orange zest and ground cardamom and mix well. When the buns are cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before spreading with icing.
