We’ve tucked your favourite PSL flavours into these pumpkin cinnamon buns by adding extra spices to the filling and topping each swirl with a maple espresso tofu frosting to keep it vegan!
Aaaaaaand we’re back!
Last time you heard from us it was still the peak of blueberry season, a.k.a. summertime. I’m definitely a summer kind of gal but for the first time, I’m not devastated to say goodbye to my favourite season. Maybe because I don’t have to dread back-to-school, or maybe because I’m keen to return to a routine of sorts. Whatever it is, I’m pumped about pumpkin season! In my world, there is no better way to welcome fall than with pumpkin cinnamon buns. Your resident bread girl is back and ready to roll (ha! I crack myself up with unintended puns!)
After an entire summer of sporadic work shifts, packing and unpacking for short trips, and a lot of uncertainty surrounding my future career path, the slow pace, return to routine (for most people), and cozy vibes of fall are particularly inviting. Can’t wait to live in fleece and leggings, drink wine in my hot tub, eat all the roasted root vegetables and pumpkin pie, watch movies with a cup of hot chocolate, read books while wrapped in my comforter, and wear my manatee coat around the house (it’s a grey house coat made of fuzzy blanket material; makes you look like a manatee if you wear it backwards). All of it sounds so soothing and relaxing. Much needed after this summer of non-stop hustling.
My overall health behaviours were out of whack in the summer because I’d be working long days and late nights. I’d snack on ice cream all day because it was easily accessible and free, then return home starving and fill up on greasy leftovers at 11pm. Morning workouts were not a thing anymore because I’d still be exhausted from working the night before. I’d exercise twice a week if I was lucky. Don’t get me wrong: I think it’s the coolest thing to be able to say I can drive a freaking ice cream/Fed-Ex truck. I got to watch a beautiful sunset on every shift, attend weddings and special events, and work with really cool people. But now I’m ready to slip back into a rhythm of life that’s stable and keeps me sane.
I’m still in that frustrating phase of being graduated but having no idea how I’m going to make a living and be a real adult in this world. To counterbalance the uncertainty in that messy area of my life, I count on my sweat sesh at hot yoga every morning and weekly church involvement to provide an aspect of stability in my life. I like knowing where I’m go and what I’m going to do everyday. Yoga at 8:30am, job shadow at 1pm, ice cream date with Jaimie at 3:30pm… check, check, check!
I’m thankful I got a period of downtime to recuperate before jumping into a full-time job. I spent a few free days with my nose in a book (wow! leisure reading! new concept!), wrote an essay about appearance-based compliments just ‘cuz I suddenly had an urge to write (it will be shared on the blog soon, I promise!), returned to prayer journaling, and got back into baking for the blog. First recipe back from a loooooong hiatus? Cinnamon buns of course! Bread is my favourite food and these pumpkin cinnamon buns have curbed my year-long craving for something pumpkin-y.
Ever since Chew made this tofu cream cheese, tofu cheese been on regular rotation in my kitchen. I’ve made it to smear onto scones and a ‘feta’ version to toss into Greek salad. This pumpkin cinnamon bun recipe has been sitting in my notebook for a while and I left myself a reminder to top it with an espresso frosting. Then I found an open package of extra firm tofu in the fridge. *light bulb turns on*
Side story: Both Chew and I were once highly sensitive to caffeine. A single cup of brewed coffee could send our heartbeats rocketing, but wouldn’t make us feel any more energized. In fact, our pulsing veins would make us feel more tired. But this past summer was really, really busy and we found ourselves resorting coffee to get us through yet another 12 hour work day. One day I had 3 shots of espresso at noon and I felt no heart palpitations nor did I have any issues falling asleep that night. Another day, I made us coffee smoothies, with like a whole tablespoon of ground espresso and again, no side effects. Did our caffeine sensitivities vaporize or something? Who are we?
Anyways, back to these pumpkin cinnamon buns. I could totally eat the whole pan plain but the espresso tofu frosting adds a nice creaminess and makes it taste like a pumpkin spice latte. These buns are eyes-roll-to-the-back-of-your-head fluffy so I hope it makes up for our absence over the summer.
- DOUGH
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 2¼ tsp traditional yeast
- ¼ cup grapeseed oil, or another neutral vegetable oil
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 3¼ to 3¾ cups bread flour
- ½ tsp sea salt
- FILLING
- 3 tbsp vegan margarine
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp each ground nutmeg, cloves, allspice
- FROSTING
- ½ block (175g) extra firm tofu
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp ground espresso
- 3 to 4 tbsp maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
- DOUGH: Warm almond milk and cane sugar in microwave for 40 to 60 seconds, or until warm to the touch but not scalding. Stir in the yeast and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes. Activated yeast should be foamy.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the activated yeast, pumpkin, and oil until combined.
- Add 3¼ cups all-purpose flour and salt and mix on low speed until a thick and sticky dough forms. Increase to medium speed and knead the dough with the dough hook attachment for 5 to 7 minutes or until a soft dough forms and begins to gather around the hook. Add up to ½ cup more of all purpose flour after 2 minutes if dough still looks too wet. Finished dough will wrap around the hook like a ball and still be a bit sticky. Avoid over-kneading for soft and fluffy bread.
- Oil a large mixing bowl and transfer the dough into the oiled bowl. Turn the dough a few times to coat the surface of the dough with oil. This will prevent it from sticking as it rises. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and store in a warm place and draft-free place (such as a microwave that isn't turned on) to allow dough to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- FILLING: While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Mix all the filling ingredients together to make a paste. Set aside.
- FROSTING: Blend all frosting ingredients together in a small food processor until smooth. Set aside.
- SHAPING & BAKING: Once dough has expanded to twice its initial size, punch the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Roll into a ¼ inch thick rectangle and spread generously with the coconut sugar filling, spreading all the way to the edges.
- Roll the dough up tightly starting from the long side. Slice into 12 to 14 even pieces and arrange in a greased square pan or pie pan (I used a 9" loaf pan and an 8" round cake pan). Cover loosely with a tea towel and let the dough rise again in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350⁰F while the dough is proofing for the second time.
- After the second proofing, bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Once buns have cooled, spread the frosting over the tops and enjoy warm!
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