Bugsnax: Cinnasnail

Although I haven’t had a chance to play Bugsnax yet, I’m already appreciative of all the food that went into the game. There are so many delicious Bugsnax in the trailers and videos, and knowing there are 100 in total, I don’t know what my favorite will end up being. But for now, I’d have to say the Cinnasnail is my number one favorite. I’ll always make an excuse to make cinnamon buns, and if I can get creative with how they cook and what ingredients go into them to make them part bug and part snack? All the better. When I get to play through Bugsnax, I’m definitely going to round up as many cinnasnails as possible for myself. It’ll be hard to share them!

For those who follow me on Twitch or Twitter, you may know that I already attempted a cinnasnail before this one with some mild success. I tried baking cinnamon buns in different orientations and with different tinfoil supports to get the right size and shape to match the cinnasnail. Some results were a little on the nightmarish side, but I learned enough from that attempt to have a great recipe for the Bugsnax fan in your life. As with my flapjackarack recipe, I used a bit of cricket flour in this one to make sure it’s both kinda bug and kinda snack, but keep in mind that cricket flour can trigger shellfish allergies, so avoid it if you need to!

Eye Antennas
4 oz (113 g) white chocolate melts
1 oz (28 g) corn syrup
Bugsnax candy eyes, recipe here

The night before you are going to make the cinnasnails, make the eye antennas. Melt the white chocolate melts in a small bowl. Heat the corn syrup in the microwave for about 5 seconds and whisk it into the melted white chocolate. Do not over mix it or it will separate. This is our modeling chocolate. Allow it to cool slightly before working with it.

Prepare a plate by wrapping it in plastic wrap. Once cooled, grab a small portion or the modeling chocolate and form into an antenna matching cinnasnail’s. Place a small toothpick at the bottom (this is to attach it to the cinnasnail). Carefully attach a bugsnak candy eye by pressing it at the other end. Place on the plate. Once you make enough eyes for your cinnasnails (we will be making about 8 – 10, so double that), transfer the plate into the refrigerator overnight. This will help harden the modeling chocolate.

Dough
2 tsp (8 g) yeast
¾ cup (175 g) lukewarm (100°F -110°F) almond milk
4 tbsp (54 g) unsalted butter
½ cup (127 g) sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp orange extract
3 ½ cups (520 g) flour
2 tbsp (18 g) cricket flour
1 tsp (3 g) cardamom
1 tsp (4 g) turmeric
½ tsp (1 g) cinnamon
1 tsp (4 g) salt

Filling
¼ cup (60 g) brown sugar
1 tbsp (7 g) cinnamon
1 tsp (4 g) salt
5 tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter, room temperature

Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
5 tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ cups (190 g) confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp heavy cream
½ tsp (2 g) salt
1 oz (28 g) white chocolate melts, melted
½ tsp vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon

In a small cup, combine the lukewarm almond milk and yeast. In a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and salt. Once well combined, add in the egg and orange extract. Add the milk and yeast mixture.

Add the flour, cricket flour, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined, but do not over mix so the dough doesn’t get tough. After it has combined, take the dough out of the bowl and knead by hand for five minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Allow the dough to rise for at least two hours.

After the dough has risen, preheat an oven to 350°F. Prepare an eight cavity mini loaf pan by spraying with nonstick spray. Take a small amount of aluminum foil and form a 1-inch x 1-inch x 3-inch rectangle.  Place one in each of the cavities to form a ramp for the cinnasnail heads to rest on.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter. Roll the dough out into a rectangular shape without rolling it too thin. Take the butter mixture and spread it over the top of the rolled out dough, leaving the bottom two to three inches empty. The bottom section is for the cinnasnail’s face.

Tightly roll the dough lengthwise up until the empty area. Use a serrated knife to cut 2 inch tall pieces (you should end up with 8 to 12 pieces). Carefully, remove a small amount of the dough from the empty areas to form the bottom antennas of the cinnasnail.

Transfer each cinnasnail to one of the cavities. I found that having the cinnasnail head and antennas rest upwards just out of the cavity made better shaped cinnasnails. Cover the pan with a towel and allow the buns to rise for another 15 to 30 minutes. Remove the towel, place in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes.

While the buns are baking, make the cream cheese icing. Place the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Pour the melted butter in the bowl and mix. Add the heavy cream and white chocolate melts and mix until smooth.

To assemble the cinnasnails, dunk the head of the cinnasnail in the filling. Carefully pierce the eye antennas into the dough. Add additional cream cheese icing to hide the seams of the cinnasnail. Top the body with extra frosting. Make sure when enjoying these to not consume the toothpicks in the eyes!

Print Recipe

Cinnasnail

Ingredients

Eye Antennas

• 4 oz (113 g) white chocolate melts
• 1 oz (28 g) corn syrup
• Bugsnax candy eyes

Dough

• 2 tsp (8 g) yeast
• ¾ cup (175 g) lukewarm (100°F -110°F) almond milk
• 4 tbsp (54 g) unsalted butter
• ½ cup (127 g) sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 3 ½ cups (520 g) flour
• 2 tbsp (18 g) cricket flour
• 1 tsp (3 g) cardamom
• 1 tsp (4 g) turmeric
• ½ tsp (1 g) cinnamon
• 1 tsp (4 g) salt

Filling

• ¼ cup (60 g) brown sugar
• 1 tbsp (7 g) cinnamon
• 1 tsp (4 g) salt
• 5 tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter, room temperature

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 5 tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ cups (190 g) confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• ½ tsp (2 g) salt
• 1 oz (28 g) white chocolate melts, melted
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of cinnamon

Instructions

Eye Antennas

• The night before you are going to make the cinnasnails, make the eye antennas. Melt the white chocolate melts in a small bowl. Heat the corn syrup in the microwave for about 5 seconds and whisk it into the melted white chocolate. Do not over mix it or it will separate. This is our modeling chocolate. Allow it to cool slightly before working with it.
• Prepare a plate by wrapping it in plastic wrap. Once cooled, grab a small portion or the modeling chocolate and form into an antenna matching cinnasnail’s. Place a small toothpick at the bottom (this is to attach it to the cinnasnail). Carefully attach a bugsnak candy eye by pressing it at the other end. Place on the plate. Once you make enough eyes for your cinnasnails (we will be making about 8 – 10, so double that), transfer the plate into the refrigerator overnight. This will help harden the modeling chocolate.

Dough, Filling, & Cream Cheese Icing

• In a small cup, combine the lukewarm almond milk and yeast. In a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and salt. Once well combined, add in the egg and orange extract. Add the milk and yeast mixture.
• Add the flour, cricket flour, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined, but do not over mix so the dough doesn’t get tough. After it has combined, take the dough out of the bowl and knead by hand for five minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Allow the dough to rise for at least two hours.
• After the dough has risen, preheat an oven to 350°F. Prepare an eight cavity mini loaf pan by spraying with nonstick spray. Take a small amount of aluminum foil and form a 1-inch x 1-inch x 3-inch rectangle. Place one in each of the cavities to form a ramp for the cinnasnail heads to rest on.
• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter. Roll the dough out into a rectangular shape without rolling it too thin. Take the butter mixture and spread it over the top of the rolled out dough, leaving the bottom two to three inches empty. The bottom section is for the cinnasnail’s face.
• Tightly roll the dough lengthwise up until the empty area. Use a serrated knife to cut 2 inch tall pieces (you should end up with 8 to 12 pieces). Carefully, remove a small amount of the dough from the empty areas to form the bottom antennas of the cinnasnail.
• Transfer each cinnasnail to one of the cavities. I found that having the cinnasnail head and antennas rest upwards just out of the cavity made better shaped cinnasnails. Cover the pan with a towel and allow the buns to rise for another 15 to 30 minutes. Remove the towel, place in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes.
• While the buns are baking, make the cream cheese icing. Place the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Pour the melted butter in the bowl and mix. Add the heavy cream and white chocolate melts and mix until smooth.
• To assemble the cinnasnails, dunk the head of the cinnasnail in the filling. Carefully pierce the eye antennas into the dough. Add additional cream cheese icing to hide the seams of the cinnasnail. Top the body with extra frosting. Make sure when enjoying these to not consume the toothpicks in the eyes!