For the Sweet Buns:

1️⃣ Place the flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together and then form a well in the center. 🥣

2️⃣ Add the warm milk and egg yolk into the center of the well and knead with the hook attachment until the liquid has been absorbed. 🥛🥚

3️⃣ Add in the orange zest, the beans of one vanilla pod, and the honey. With the hook attachment, knead until the zest, honey, and vanilla have been evenly distributed. 🍊🍯

4️⃣ Knead in the butter a little at a time and end with the salt. Once all the butter has been incorporated, knead for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. You will end up with a very stretchy, soft dough, barely clinging to the side of the bowl. 🧈🧂

5️⃣ Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Turn the dough to grease all over and cover with cling wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free space until it triples in volume for about two hours. ⏳

6️⃣ Divide the dough into 12 equal portions of approximately 48 grams each. One at a time, fold the dough over, then turn it clockwise and fold again while repeating this six times. Gently bring together the bottom of the dough to seal. ⚖️

7️⃣ Cup the dough ball between your thumb and index finger and make circular motions with the dough ball until you have a perfectly round-shaped dough ball. Place the dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 🍞

8️⃣ Spray two sheets of cling wrap with baking spray and cover the dough balls with the cling wrap (sprayed side down). Set aside to rise in a draft-free area for one hour. ⏳

9️⃣ Make the egg wash by beating together 1 whole egg with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. 🥚🥛

🔟 When the dough balls have risen, brush them with the egg wash mixture. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the sweet buns for 20 minutes. Allow the buns to cool completely before filling them with whipped cream. Otherwise, you’ll have one soggy mess. 🔥

Whipped Cream Filling:

1️⃣ Beat together the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. 🍦

2️⃣ Fill a piping bag with the sweetened whipped cream. With a serrated knife, slice the sweet buns from the top down, but not all the way through. Gently open like a book, pipe a layer of whipped cream, place an amarena cherry in the center, top with more whipped cream and level any excess with an offset spatula. 🍒

3️⃣ Dust the tops with powdered sugar. Pipe a rosette on top of the filled centers and crown with a cherry if using. 🍰

Enjoy your Maritozzi Italian Cream Buns! 😋