First the Dough

• In a mixing bowl, add the yeast, 1 tsp of sugar, and lukewarm water. Let stand for a few minutes.
• When the yeast has foamed up, add the room lukewarm milk, apple sauce, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, and 1 cup of flour. Mix with a spoon to combine.
• place the dough on you bench and start to add 2 more cups of flour while kneading.
• If the dough is sticky, add extra flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
• Knead the dough for about 4 minutes and until it is no longer sticky. In the last minute of mixing, add the sultanas and currants.
• Place a layer of cling film to a large mixing bowl and place the dough in the mixing bowl.
• Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Line a medium sized tray with baking paper. Allow an overhang on each side so they can be easily removed from the tray when done.
• After the hour has passed, punch the dough down and knead for a few seconds to get rid of any air pockets.
• Separate the dough into 12 equal sized pieces.
• Roll each piece into a ball and place each one into the parchment lined pan. It’s OK if they are close together.
• Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot. Let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Second the not egg wash

• Mix the unsweetened non-dairy milk and the maple syrup together.
• After the rolls have rested, using a pastry brush, brush the vegan egg wash over each bun.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes in pan.
• Remove buns using parchment paper overhang as handles and place onto a cooling rack. The buns will have joined together while rising/baking. Do not separate them yet.

Third the Vegan chocolate icing 

• Melt vegan chocolate in the microwave.
• mix in equal parts chocolate and vegan yoghurt
• Mix well until it has all combined. Place into a piping bag with a very small tip or a small ziplock bag. If using a ziplock bag, snip off one of the bottom corners.
• Once the buns have cooled, pipe the icing onto the buns to make the crosses.

These are fantastic to eat hot straight out of the oven.  Pictured is one of our favourite ways to eat them, cut in half with a dollop of strawberry jam and a small spoon of vegan yoghurt.

This recipe contains gluten