Mini Christmas Stollen Bites

One of the best things about Christmas is the abundance of eating and drinking, and there aren’t many menus that don’t feature sweet cakes and breads studded with candied fruits and nuts; but the hallmark of Christmas baking is a seasonal stollen. Packed with festive flavours (cinnamon, cardamon, mixed peel and spiced rum, what’s not to like!), delicious with a hot cup of tea (or mulled wine) and making it the perfect festive treat or homemade gift. You’ll need to soak the fruit in rum ahead of time but these mini stollen bites are worth the effort!

Ingredients:

• 75g mixed dried fruit
• 25g mixed peel
• 25g dried sour cherries
• 2 ½ tbsp spiced rum
• 75ml milk
• 75g butter
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp faction action yeast
• 225g strong white bread flour
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ mixed spice
• Seeds from 2 green cardamon pods (crushed)
• 1 medium egg, plus 1 extra egg yolk
• Sunflower oil
• 1 tsp icing sugar
• 200g golden marzipan

Method:

Mix dried fruit, peel and cherries with 1 tbsp of rum and set aside for around 2 hours.

1. Mix dried fruit, peel and cherries with 1 tbsp of rum and set aside for 2 hours.
2. In a pan, heat the milk, 50g butter and orange zest until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then stir in the yeast.
3. Add the flour and spices into a bowl and mix. Pour in milk mixture, add the egg and egg yolk (beaten) and stir to form a sticky dough.
4. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead for around 10 minutes or until smooth (the dough should spring back when pressed and feel less sticky).
5. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and set aside to prove in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
6. Heat oven to around 180 degrees (adjust accordingly depending on your oven). Next dust a clean surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan into an 8 inch square.
7. Once the dough has doubled in size, tip onto a floured surface and spoon over the drained mixed fruit mixture and knead until combined and evenly distributed.
8. Divide in half and roll each half to around an 8 inch square. Place 1 rolled half into a lined 8 inch square tin.
9. Top with the marzipan and then add the second piece of rolled dough. Next set aside for 20-30 minutes to prove.
10. Bake for 25 minutes in the oven until golden. Remove from oven and cool in the tin for around 15 minutes. Then remove from the tin and cool completely.
11. Trim the edges once cool and cut into 25 even squares.
12. Gently heat remaining rum and butter and brush each little square with the mixture and toss in icing sugar!

Recipe and image from Good Housekeeping.

For more delicious recipes take a look at:

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Lemon & Parsley Chicken Goujons

Cheese & Chive Scones

Lemon & Blueberry American Scones