Dear friends,

Making cinnamon buns for breakfast every Christmas has become one of those quiet traditions that anchors the day for me. I make the dough the night before and refrigerate it overnight. Before the house fully wakes, I roll, fill, shape, proof, and bake the dough so the smell of the buns fill the kitchen. By the time everyone gathers, still in pajamas, the buns are just coming out of the oven - sticky, fragrant, and meant to be shared right away.

A few days ago, I shared these GF Gingerbread Cinnamon Buns on Instagram and I wanted to send you the details here as well. I didn’t even manage to take a photo as they disappeared the moment they came out of the oven, which felt like the best kind of proof. I am sharing a photo I took of the cinnamon buns in the book instead.

The dough and icing are the same ones from The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, but I reworked the filling with warming spices, a touch of molasses, and almond flour to bring in that deep gingerbread flavor. I finished them with a gingersnap crumble for a little crunch and an extra layer of spice in every bite.

This will be the version I make this year, woven into that familiar morning ritual.

Wishing you all a peaceful and healthy holiday season.

With love,

Aran

Gingerbread Cinnamon Buns

Use the Cinnamon Bun recipe in The Art of Gluten-Free Bread for the dough and cream cheese icing and use the filling and gingersnap crumble below.

Makes 12 buns

For the gingerbread filling

110g unsalted butter or vegan butter, very soft but not melted

100 g dark brown sugar

40 g molasses

15 g almond flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the gingersnap crumble

50 g superfine brown rice flour

20 g almond flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

35 g cold unsalted butter or vegan butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

·      Follow the same directions on how to make the dough as written in the book.

·      For the gingerbread filling, stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until very creamy. If the filling is cold (because your kitchen is cold), it can tear the dough when spreading. You can microwave the filling for 3 seconds to soften slightly if it feels stiff. Follow instructions in book on adding the filling into the dough and shaping.

·      While the cinnamon buns are proofing, make the gingersnap crumble. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown rice flour, almond flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter pieces and work into the flour mixture until you have a crumbly dough. Spread on the baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Let the crumble cool completely and then break any large pieces.

·      Once the cinnamon buns are baked and iced per recipe, sprinkle the top with the gingersnap crumble and serve while warm.