Coconut Orange Tea Buns

Method11 steps · about 35 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Use a food processor, or mix in a large bowl and cut the dough butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or your fingertips. Follow the same sequence with either method.

2. 2

   Step 2: Combine the flour (3 cups), sugar (¾ cup), baking powder (3 teaspoon) and salt (½ teaspoon) in the processor or large bowl.

   Uses 3 cups flour · ¾ cup sugar · 3 teaspoon baking powder · ½ teaspoon salt

3. 3

   Step 3: Cut or pulse in the 3/4 cup dough butter until the mixture resembles a fine meal. Keep the separate cup of honey-butter butter for the topping.

   Uses Combined dry bun ingredients · 3/4 cup butter for the bun dough

4. 4

   Step 4: Remove to a large bowl and stir in the coconut.

   Uses Butter-cut dry bun mixture · 1 cup finely shredded unsweetened desiccated coconut

5. 5

   Step 5: Make a well in the center of this mixture.

   Uses Coconut and butter-cut dry mixture

6. 6

   Step 6: Mix together the lemon juice (2 tablespoon), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), evaporated milk (1 cup) and orange zest.

   Uses 2 tablespoon lemon juice · 1 teaspoon vanilla extract · 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk · Finely chopped zest of 1 orange

7. 7

   Step 7: Pour into the well and mix only enough to form a dough ball.

   Uses Dry coconut mixture with a centre well · Combined milk, citrus and vanilla liquid

8. 8

   Step 8: Roll to 1 inch thickness and cut out buns with biscuit cutter and place on parchment lined baking sheet close together.

   Uses Complete orange-coconut bun dough

9. 9

   Step 9: Bake at 375°F (191°C) for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. The author’s large-cutter method makes about 16 large tea buns; timing varies with cutter size.

   Bake orange-coconut tea buns · 20 minUses Cut buns on parchment-lined baking sheet

10. 10

    Step 10: For the honey (1/2 cup) butter (1 cup), combine the separate 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup honey, a 2:1 ratio.

    Uses 1 cup butter for honey butter · 1/2 cup honey for honey butter

11. 11

    Step 11: Beat the honey and topping butter with a handheld mixer until creamy. Serve with the warm baked tea buns; the honey-butter batch is separate from the dough.

    Uses Combined honey and topping butter · Baked orange-coconut tea buns