• In your stand mixer bowl, add the yeast, 1 tsp of sugar, and lukewarm water. Let stand for a few minutes.
• When the yeast has foamed up, add the room temperature soy/almond milk, oil, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, and 1 cup of flour. Mix with a spoon to combine.
• Put stand mixer bowl in place, add 2 more cups of flour and using the dough hook, set the mixer to knead or do by hand.
• When the dough is sticky, add flour 1/2 cup at a time.
• Let the mixer knead the dough for about 4 minutes until it is no longer sticky. In the last minute of mixing, add the dates.
• Lightly oil the inside of a medium-sized bowl.
• Remove dough from mixer bowl and place into the oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Line an 11" x 13" pan with baking paper. Allow an overhang on each side so they can be easily removed from the pan when done.
• After the hour has passed, punch the dough down and knead for a few seconds to get rid of any air pockets.
• Separate the dough into 12 equal sized pieces.
• Roll each piece into a ball and place each one into the parchment lined pan. (It's OK if they are close together).
• Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot. Let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 190°C.
Make the vegan "egg" wash...
• Mix the unsweetened soy/almond milk and the maple syrup together.
• After the rolls have rested, using a pastry brush, brush the vegan egg wash over each bun.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes in pan.
• Remove buns using baking paper overhang as handles and place onto a cooling rack. The buns will have joined together while rising/baking. Do not separate them yet.
While cooling, make the icing...
• Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and unsweetened soy/almond milk to a small bowl. Mix well until it has all combined to form a thick icing. Place into a piping bag with a very small tip or a small ziplock bag. If using a ziplock bag, snip off one of the bottom corners.
• Once the buns have cooled, pipe the icing onto the buns to make the crosses.