Italy - Maritozzo

These delightfully soft buns are scented with lemon & filled with a sweetened fresh raspberry cream. I've topped mine off with some chopped pistachios as they match so well with raspberries.

I am a huge fan of fresh cream cakes so I absolutely loved these. You definately need to try these if you love a special sweet breakfast

Ingredients 

Buns:

300ml whole milk

500g strong flour

60g sugar

10g dried yeast

50g olive oil

1 lemon zest

1 egg yolk

Pinch of salt 

Soak:

100g sugar

100g water 

Filling:

600ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract 

80g sugar

150g fresh raspberries, crushed 

Garnish:

150g chopped pistachios

Icing sugar, to dust 

Method

Buns:

Warm milk until just warm to the touch. Add 100g of the flour, all of the sugar and yeast & whisk to combine. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.

Add remaining 400g flour, oil, lemon zest, egg yolk and salt. Mix to combine. Place onto a worktop and knead for 10 minutes until you have a smooth ball. Place into an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1 hour. Knock back the dough by punching the middle down, re-cover and refridgerate overnight. 

The next day take the dough from the fridge and divide into 10 equal pieces. Shape into balls and place onto two lined baking trays, leaving a few inches between. Cover with loose clingfilm and leave to rise between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size. Pre-heat oven to 180C. 

Once risen bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. While the buns bake, combine the sugar and water for the syrup, in a pan, and heat until boiling. Brush onto the buns as soon as they come out of the oven. Leave to cool. 

Filling:

Whip the cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks. Fold in the crushed raspberries

Cut a slit down the centre of each one (not cutting the whole way through, but mostly.) Fill with the Raspberry cream and smooth with a palette knife. Roll in chopped pistachios and dust with icing sugar. Serve and eat.