Ingredients

Step by step

1. Over a low heat, heat the milk in a small pan with the butter until melted; tip it into a bowl to cool slightly.
2. Tip the flour into the bowl of a food mixer with the sugar, yeast and two generous pinches of salt, then mix. Lightly beat the egg in a cup. Pour the lukewarm buttery milk (you should be able to hold your little finger in the milk with no discomfort) into the flour and add the beaten egg. Mix to combine, scraping down the sides as necessary, until a dough is formed. Then knead the dough for 5 minutes with a dough hook in the mixer, on a low speed. Or, mix the ingredients in a bowl by hand, making a well in the centre of the flour to pour the egg and buttery milk into, mix and then bring the dough together with your hands before kneading it for 10 minutes on a lightly floured work surface.
3. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave it to rise in a warm area (away from draughts) for 1 hour or until it has more or less doubled in size. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together for the butter, and roughly chop the pecans; set aside.
4. Tip the risen dough out onto the work surface, punch it with your fist to knock out the air, then knead it briefly for a minute or so before rolling it out to a 20cm x 35cm rectangle. Dot the sugary butter all over the dough before spreading it out, then spread the mincemeat on top of this. Evenly sprinkle the chopped pecans and cranberries on top.
5. Now, roll up the dough, starting from one of the longer sides. Trim the ends and slice the roll into 13 rounds, each about 2cm-2.5cm. If you have any dough left over, you can bake a bun separately from the wreath – a cook's perk!
6. Arrange the buns on a very large baking tray, lined with a nonstick cooking liner or baking paper. Arrange them, cut side up and just touching, in a circle on the liner. Cover them loosely with clingfilm and leave them to rise again in a warm place for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5.
7. Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden. To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add the lemon juice, mixing all the time until you have an icing you can drizzle – you may not need all the juice.
8. Once baked, brush the buns with the buttery juices that will have escaped onto the tray during cooking, then leave them to cool for 10 minutes or so. Carefully transfer the wreath to a board – use a fish slice first to loosen the buns from the tray. Cool the buns until just warm, then drizzle them with the icing. Scatter with extra chopped dried cranberries. Eat the buns warm or cold.
9. Watch this...

   Sticky mincemeat bun wreath