Rum Glazed Mincemeat Cinnamon Buns

I went a little crazy last Sunday, the ideas that had been swirling around my head for a couple of weeks finally came to fruition and a’ baking I went. I wanted to try mincemeat as filling for more than tarts, since we are a mincemeat loving family. Paired with yeasty, warm breads, what could be better?

Cinnamon buns are the perfect way to get a smidge of mincemeat taste into your baking, tarts can be a little overwhelming flavor-wise and you really have to love mincemeat to be able to enjoy tarts. My daughter doesn’t like tarts but these she had no problem scarfing down for a bedtime snack on Sunday night.

The adult version of these has a spiced rum glaze drizzled over the top, something I highly suggest adding, the rum just makes the mincemeat flavor pop.

Let’s be honest here folks, everything’s better with a dash of rum.

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2.5 tsp traditional yeast
1 cup of mincemeat

Filling:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup of mincemeat

This is your normal, traditional sweet dough so we proceed the same way. Dissolve the yeast and 1 tbsp of sugar in warm water and let it sit for about 10 min. Once it’s proofed (you see little bubbles on top) stir in the sugar, warm milk and melted butter.

In a large bowl combine yeast mixture, milk mixture and egg. Stir in flour a little at a time and knead on lightly floured surface about 8 min. Or using your mixer and the dough hook, proceed to do the same, letting the mixer do all the kneading instead.

Cover and let rise about 1 hr then punch down the dough and then roll it out into a square that’s 16 inches by 10. The 16 inches is what is going to be 16 one inch wide cinnamon buns by the time we are done. The other length is what will “roll up”, make sense? So roll it out according to what you wish.

Brush with the melted butter for the filling, spread the cup of mincemeat over it evenly then sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.

Mincemeat is not quite sweet enough on its own in these buns, you DO need the brown sugar. The brown sugar also melts with the butter and makes them moist, mincemeat alone doesn’t have the same saucy-ness to it that a good brown sugar/butter sauce does.

Roll it up, pinching the dough together at the end to seal up the buns, then using a knife mark 16 equal lines. Use a serrated knife or the thread trick to cut them out.

Place on two parchment lined baking sheets and let them rise in a warm spot for another hour or so.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 then bake for 20 minutes or until they are beautifully browned. Remove and cool on baking racks.

Hello Captain, my faithful friend.

Mix together one cup of icing sugar and 1-2 tbsp of spiced rum. Drizzle over the cinnamon buns. I didn’t even bother cutting the flavor of rum with cream, newp. Pure, spicy rum glaze.

People are gonna love you this Christmas, even more than they usually do, for whipping up this one.