Dee says: At Fortitude, I top these rosewater-flavoured buns with organic dried rose buds from the Merzouga valley in Morocco. I have visited this region on many occasions; you are always greeted by the heady floral smell of organic roses.

Makes 12 little buns

Ingredients

• 12-hole muffin tin or easy-release silicone mould, greased well with oil
• 170ml pomace oil (or light virgin olive oil)
• 200g unrefined golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 125g fine semolina
• 50g pistachios, finely ground into a flour
• 200g ground almonds
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 25ml rosewater

To decorate

• 250g icing sugar
• 25g finely chopped pistachios
• 12 dried rose buds (optional)

Method

In a large bowl, beat together the pomace oil and caster sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix until combined, but do not overmix.

In a separate bowl, combine the semolina, ground pistachios, ground almonds and baking powder. Fold the semolina mixture into the whipped olive oil mix using a metal spoon. When it is almost combined, add the rosewater and gently fold through. Leave overnight in the fridge. 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.

Fold any oil that is sitting on the surface back into the mixture to combine again. Making sure that the muffin tin or mould is greased well with oil, divide the mixture equally between the holes of the tin or mould, then place it on a baking tray. Bake in the centre of the hot oven for 22 minutes or until the buns feel set to the touch. Transfer the buns from the tin or mould to a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the icing, mix the icing sugar with just enough warm water to make a thick paste. Spread the top of each bun with the icing using the back of a spoon and sprinkle over the pistachios. If preferred, place a dried rose bud in the middle of each bun.

When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, these little buns will keep for 7 days.

Notes

To ferment, once mixed, store the cake batter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days to allow it to ferment. Fold any oil sitting on the surface back into the mixture before baking.

Dee says: This is one of our most popular gluten-free desserts, which also came about almost by accident when 50kg of desiccated coconut was delivered to us by mistake (twice our normal order). Now we make hundreds of these buns each week that we sell at the bakehouse and deliver to our wholesale customers, who order them in large quantities because they keep really well.

Makes 8 little buns

Ingredients

• 6-hole silicone bun mould or muffin tin (use two mould or bake in two batches)
• 250g ground almonds
• 90g desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 200g salted butter, softened
• 250g unrefined golden caster sugar
• 6 small eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 125g fresh raspberries, plus extra to serve
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar, to dust

Method

Combine the ground almonds, desiccated coconut and baking powder in a bowl. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat with a paddle attachment on high speed for 6 minutes. Add the eggs in three batches, mixing between each addition. Next, add the vanilla extract. Reduce the speed of the mixer to slow and add the almond and coconut mixture in three batches. Finally fold in the raspberries by hand. Once combined, put the mixing bowl in the fridge for 35 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Place the bun mould or muffin tin on a baking tray and divide the batter equally between the holes. Bake in the centre of the hot oven for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Once baked, leave the buns in the mould or tin until completely cool.

Before serving, dust with icing sugar and top with a few raspberries.

When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, these buns will keep for 7 days. You can put them back into a hot oven (200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6) for 6 minutes and they will crisp up but still stay moist in the middle.

Dee says: We make this recipe every day at the bakehouse in the form of a loaf cake – it is possibly our most popular at Fortitude – but for a change, I have baked them as little buns in a mould or muffin tin.

Makes 8 little buns

Ingredients

• 6-hole silicone bun mould or muffin tin (use two moulds or bake in two batches)
• 2 large oranges
• 250g ground almonds
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 eggs
• 250g unrefined golden caster sugar

For the syrup

• 100g unrefined golden caster sugar
• Juice and zest of 1 large organic, unwaxed orange
• 100ml water
• 1 tablespoon orange flower water

For the topping

• Apricot jam, warmed, to glaze
• 2 tablespoons shelled skinned
• pistachios, finely chopped

Method

Place the oranges in a pan with a tight-fitting lid and add enough water to cover the fruit. Place the lid on the pan and bring the water to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the oranges are completely soft – this takes about 1 hour.

Remove the oranges from the water using a slotted spoon and leave to cool completely. Once cool, transfer the whole oranges to a food processor and purée until smooth. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Combine the ground almonds and baking powder in a bowl.

Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and whisk on medium/high for 5 minutes or until light, creamy and trebled in volume. Reduce the speed to low and add the almond mixture in three batches along with the orange purée, mixing between each addition. Leave the cake batter to sit for 10 minutes, then place the bun mould or muffin tin on a baking tray and divide the batter equally between the holes.

Bake for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Once baked, leave the buns to cool in the mould or tin. To make the syrup, combine all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the syrup for a few minutes until it starts to thicken.

Pour the warm syrup into a shallow dish. When the buns are cool, remove them from the moulds and rest them top-side down in the syrup. Leave to soak for 3 minutes.

Before serving, glaze the tops of the buns with the warmed jam, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and spoon over a little extra syrup. When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, these buns will keep for 5–7 days.