Sweet Potato Panela 'Canela' Bunswith Coconut Milk and Rum Soaked Currants
These buns are bursting with Latin flavors!
Prep Time: 1 hourhour
Cook Time: 30 minutesminutes
Resting time: 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Total: 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Servings: 12buns.
Ingredients
Sweet potato dough
10oz.sweet potato (garnet or jewel), peeled, cut into 1" chunks
1cupcanned coconut milk
1egg
3/4teaspoonsalt
1/4cupsugar
1 1/2teaspoonsrapid rise yeast (or 2 teaspoons active dry, or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1cupwhole wheat flour
2 1/2 to 3cupsall purpose flour
Panela-Canela filling
3tablespoonsmelted butter, plus 6 tablespoons softened butter
1/2cupcurrants
enough dark rum to cover the currants (about 1/4 or 1/2 cup)
1cupgrated Panela (also called pilconcillo, or use dark brown or muscovado sugar)(8 oz.)
2tablespoonssugar
zest of 1 orange
2teaspoonscinnamon
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonfreshly grated nutmeg
pinchcloves
Rummy Glaze
3/4cuppowdered sugar(3 oz.)
1tablespooncoconut milk
1tablespoonrum soaking liquid
pinchsalt
Instructions
Sweet potato dough
Put the sweet potato chunks in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and put in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the paddle until smooth. Slowly add the coconut milk, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the remaining ingredients (make sure the mixture is cool enough not to kill the yeast - it should be just warm to the touch) and mix to combine.
Switch to the dough hook and knead on low for 10 minutes, adding flour as needed until the dough is soft but pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand to make sure the texture is right. (Hint: if you scrape the bowl clean, you can use it to mix the filling sans washing.) Place in a lightly oiled bowl or container and cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Panela-Canela filling
While the dough is rising, get on with the filling. Cover the currants with the rum and set aside to soak. Put the panela and softened butter in the mixer fitted with the paddle, and beat on medium low until smoothish and lightened (it won't get totally smooth), about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (except the melted butter) and beat to combine. Set aside.Brush a 9x12x2" glass casserole with some of the melted butter. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375º.
When the dough has doubled in bulk, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press out the air bubbles. Pat or roll into a 16x12" rectangle with a long side facing you. It will be about 1/2" thick. Use an offset spatula to spread the dough evenly with the filling mixture, leaving a 1/2" gap on the top, but going all the way to the other edges.
Drain the currants well, reserving the rum (of course!), and sprinkle them evenly over the butter mixture. Roll the dough up snugly from the bottom, and pinch the seam closed. Place the log seam side down and cut into 12 equal rounds. (I like to cut the log in half, then cut each half in half, then cut each quarter into thirds. I like to use a sharp chef's knife and a back-and-forth sawing motion.)
Place the rounds in the prepared pan, 3 by 4, evenly spaced, with the smaller, end pieces in the center. Brush the tops and sides with the remaining melted butter. Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. The buns are ready to bake when they hold an indentation when poked lightly with your finger, rather than springing back.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden on top. Let cool at least half and hour before eating.
Rummy Glaze
Whisk all together until smooth, thinning with additional drops of rum if necessary. Use a spatula to drizzle over the top of the slightly cooled buns.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one of twelve buns.