These large-sized, lightly sweetened buns have a chewy bread-like exterior crust with a moist, tender, cake-like interior. Studded with dried cranberries, topped with a luscious cream cheese icing, and scented by plenty of freshly zested orange peel, they’re the perfect pastry for Christmas morning or any other morning you want to make special.
Yield: 6 buns
Serving size: 1 bun
Ingredients for the buns:
- 4 oz (113.4g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 2/3 cups (185.92g) of freshly shredded, low moisture, whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp. (14.2g) unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tbsp. (28.35g) egg white powder, here’s a link to the brand I use
- 2 tsp. (10g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp. (7.2g) baking soda
- 2 tbsp. (30g) heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup (55g) granular erythritol
- 3 tbsp. (21g) coconut flour
- 3/4 tbsp. (4.5g) freshly grated orange zest
- 6 tbsp. sugar-free dried cranberries, here’s the recipe
Ingredients for the glaze:
- 2oz (56.7g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (41.25g) powdered erythritol
- 1 tsp. (5g) pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. (30g) heavy whipping cream
Directions to make the buns:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180 °C) and line a jumbo-sized muffin tin with paper liners.
- Place the butter and cream cheese into the bottom of a heat-proof bowl. Place the mozzarella cheese on top of the butter and cream cheese in the bowl. Set aside for now.
- Place all the remaining ingredients for the buns, except the dried cranberries, into a clean bowl.
- Stir this mixture enough to make the dry ingredients wet. Scrape down sides as necessary. It’s okay if the mixture is lumpy.
- Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until smooth.
- Grab the previously set aside bowl with the mozzarella, cream cheese, and butter. Place it into the microwave oven. Microwave it at one-minute intervals, mixing with a large spoon after each time. Repeat once or twice until the mixture has melted and resembles a smooth taffy.
- Carefully transfer the cheese mixture into the food processor bowl with the egg mixture.
- Process on high until you have a smooth, thick batter.
- Carefully remove the blade from the bowl of the food processor and pour the batter into a large bowl. Use a rubber spatula to ensure you get all of it into the bowl.
- Fold the dried cranberries into the batter.
- Distribute the batter evenly between the six previously lined jumbo muffin cups.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the buns are a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out dry.
- Place the buns onto a wire rack to cool. Please allow at least ten minutes of cooling before icing the buns to avoid having the icing melt and slide off.
- While the buns are cooling, prepare the cream cheese glaze as stated in the following steps below.
Directions to make the glaze and ice the buns:
- Place the cream cheese, erythritol, vanilla, and cream into a clean bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend until you have a smooth, creamy glaze.
- After the buns have cooled for about ten minutes, spoon the glaze in equal amounts over each cranberry orange bun. Use the back of the spoon to spread the icing festively across the top of each bun. Garnish the top of each glazed bun with half of a fresh cranberry if desired
- Enjoy this yummy treat warm, at room temperature, or chilled. If there are any leftovers, store them in a covered container in the fridge.
