Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Orange Zest and Cranberries [Vegan]
Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Orange Zest and Cranberriesborrowed from a friend and augmented
1 cup soy milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 T yeast
4-5 cups flour
1 1/3 t salt
Begin by mixing the first five ingredients [milk, pumpkin, coconut oil, brown sugar and vanilla] together in a large saucepan. Warm this mixture up slowly over low heat for 3-5 minutes, then add the yeast. Stir it in gently and let it all sit for a minute or two on very low heat. Move this warm mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the flour [I like a mixture of white flour and whole wheat flour -- 80/20 ratio]. Start with less flour and add more as you knead it in. You'll know when the dough is ready [it balls up and isn't super sticky].
Let it rest in a warm location {72 degree house or warmer!} for about an hour. It needs to double in size.
Punch it down, knead in a bit more flour if too sticky, and roll it out onto a floured surface. This is where you add the middle ingredients. You might need to pinch the dough into two balls and do all of this twice.
2 T coconut oil {or more if you need}, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon and ginger
zest from one orange
1 cup frozen cranberries, sliced in half
nuts, if you like
Use your fingers to spread the coconut oil all over the dough. Shake the brown sugar all over the dough so it is evenly covered. Sprinkle cinnamon and ginger, as much as you like. Sprinkle orange zest all over as well as sliced cranberries.
Now it's time to roll up the dough. Hopefully your counter was properly floured, so things haven't begun to stick. Once you have a nice long roll, use a knife or scissors to cut it into 1 inch wide pieces. Place these into a prepared baking dish*.
*To prepare your baking dish, oil the bottom and sprinkle in some brown sugar. This makes the bottoms of your buns nice and sticky.
Let your buns rise again in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and then bake them for 15-20 minutes {watch!}. The sugar will burn easily, so be careful. :)
Makes two dozen small buns.