Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Icing
Method
1.To make the dough, pour the milk into a small, warmed bowl. Sprinkle over the yeast and sugar, cover with a tea towel and leave to stand for 10 minutes – it should become foamy.
2.In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and spices. Add the melted butter, stirring to combine. Add the yeast-milk mixture, pumpkin, zest and egg, mixing with the dough hook for 5 minutes on low. If doing this by hand, mix in a bowl until combined, then turn out and knead for 10 minutes. Either way, you’ll end up with a ball of soft dough that comes away from the sides or bench.
3.Transfer the mixture to a large oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic bag and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It ought to double in size.
4.To assemble the buns, line a roasting tin with baking paper. Gently plop the dough onto a well-floured surface and sift over more flour. Roll the dough out to a rectangle, about 25cm x 35cm. Brush melted butter over the dough. Combine the sugar, currants and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over the dough. Starting on a longer side, roll the dough into a tight spiral log. Some filling may spill out, but don’t fret! Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut the log into 12 rounds. Try to use only gentle downward pressure so you don’t squish the spiral.
5.Place buns on the tray, cut-side up and only just touching. Sprinkle over any spilled filling. Cover with a plastic bag and let rise for 45 minutes.
6.Preheat oven to 180°C. Bake buns for 35 minutes or until puffed and golden.
7.Make the icing by beating the cream cheese until light and fluffy, then stir in the icing sugar and vanilla, drizzling in enough milk until you get the consistency you’re after.
8.Cool the buns, ice and enjoy!
