STUFFED BUNS

Baking tray, 24/26 cm.

For the dough:

3½ cups flour (500 gr.)

½ cube or ½ bag of yeast (25 gr.)

½ cup sugar (100 gr.)

3 Tbsp. oil or butter

2 large eggs

About ¾ cup water or milk (170 ml.)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract (or orange/lemon peel)

For the filling:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. sugar

50 gr. white almond chips (½ cup) 50 gr. small, light raisins (½ cup) 1 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsp. mixed/apricot jam

For dipping:

50 gr. melted butter

For brushing:

1 egg, beaten, with a little water

For syrup:

1 cup sugar 1 cup water

1 tsp. lemon juice

Place the flour in a bowl, sprinkle it with yeast and sugar, mix lightly. Add the oil, eggs, water, salt and vanilla, and mix. Cover the dough and place it in a warm location for about an hour, until it doubles in volume.

Filling: Heat the oil in a pan and add the sugar. After about a minute, add the almonds, raisins and cinnamon. Melt the sugar until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down. Divide the mixture into two bowls and add the jam to one of them. The mixture in the other one is kept for sprinkling over the finished pastries.

Syrup: Place all the ingredients in a pan and let it simmer for about 20 minutes to get the right consistency. Let it cool down.

Rolls: Grease the baking tray well, divide the dough into pieces that are approximately 3 to 4 cm. in diameter. Make a hole in the center, put in a teaspoon of the filling and close. Brush the filled balls with the melted butter.

Place a ball in the middle of the baking tray and arrange the others around it. Cover the dough and allow it to rise further in a warm place for about 25 minutes.

Brush the dough balls with the egg mixture and sprinkle them with the remaining almonds and raisins.

Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated oven at 180° or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and dry. Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool slightly. Pour the syrup over the pastry while it is still slightly warm.