Crafting these nutty, tender treats requires no sorcery. Their modestly sweet glaze and filling offer just the right balance, allowing you to savor an extra morsel to fuel your upcoming escapades, no magic required.
In the episode
We warmed the milk to exactly 118°F, then warmed the mixer bowl with hot water so the milk wouldn't cool down. Yeast, brown sugar, butter, egg and salt went in, then the flour a little at a time. The kneading took "longer than I would like to admit." The recipe makes 24, so we froze half the dough for "our next Illidan Stormrage raid." The other half rolled out into a blob that looked a lot like a Savory Deviate Delight.
The walnut-cinnamon filling was creamed by hand, because the spoon wasn't working. We rolled the dough, cut the buns, and baked them at 350°F. The brown sugar glaze got a heavy-handed pour with the vanilla ("oh no, it's so full").
They looked exactly like Khadgar would hope. We'd already had a couple off screen. The glaze was "so good," the walnuts were a surprise favorite, and after 20 seconds of eating, it felt like 100% mana.
Cinnamon Walnut Buns
Conjured Mana Buns
Soft cinnamon-walnut sticky buns baked in muffin tins and finished with a warm brown sugar glaze. Every mage's favorite conjured snack, no magic required.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 118°F
- 2 tbsp instant yeast
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
Brown sugar glaze
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract, or until your ancestors say stop
Instructions
Make the dough
Warm the stand mixer bowl with hot water, then empty it. Add the warm milk and the yeast and mix briefly.
Add the brown sugar, melted butter, egg and salt. Let it sit for a couple of minutes.
With the mixer running, add the flour a little at a time until a dough forms.
Turn the dough out and knead by hand until it springs back when you press it with your thumb. Place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise until doubled.
Make the filling
Stir the walnuts, cinnamon, flour and brown sugar together. Add the softened butter and work it in with your hands until creamy.
Shape and bake
Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 12-cup muffin tins.
Punch the dough down and cut it in half. Roll one half out and trim it into a rectangle.
Cut the rectangle into 12 strips. Spread filling over each strip, roll it up into a spiral, and set it in a muffin cup. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.
Glaze
Melt the butter completely in a saucepan, then stir in the brown sugar until it melts with no dry lumps.
Stir in the flour, then the cream, and keep stirring until smooth and thick.
Stir in the vanilla and let the glaze cool slightly so it thickens. Spoon it over the warm buns.
Notes
In the video we baked only half the dough into 12 buns and wrapped and froze the other half for later. Warm the mixer bowl with hot water first so the cold bowl doesn't cool the milk and slow the yeast. Your hands cream the filling butter better than a utensil. Melt the butter all the way before adding the sugar to keep the glaze smooth. Pairs well with Steaming Chicken Soup or hot apple cider.
Adapted from World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel (Insight Editions, 2016).
