In which I bake my take on a German Christmas cake...
I normally try to experiment a bit with my recipes (unless I am making a family recipe). This one is based on a recipe in "Eating at Home German Style" but due to a lack of angelica in all the local supermarkets is spiced instead.[1]
Ingredients
25g fresh yeast or 10g easy bake yeast
75g golden caster sugar
90ml warmed milk
30ml rum
2 tsp almond essence
3 tsp allspice
Pinch of salt
400g plain flour (with spare for kneading/rolling)
1 beaten egg
125g unsalted butter
50g raisins
50g glace cherries, chopped
25g currants
50g glaced ginger
60g cut mixed peel
40g flaked almonds
Icing sugar
Marzipan (about half a block)
How-to
With Fresh Yeast
Mix yeast with water.
Dissolve 50g sugar & salt in milk.
Add rum, almond essence and yeast liquid to milk mixture.
Sift flour and spices into a bowl.
Make a hollow in the centre of the flour.
Add yeast mixture, egg, 75g softened butter cut small and the fruit and nuts.
Go to the mixing soft dough step below.
With Easy Bake Yeast
Sift flour and spice into a bowl.
Add sugar.
Add yeast & salt ensuring they are kept on opposite sides of the bowl.
Add warmed milk, rum and 30ml water.
Mix.
Add egg, 75g softened butter cut small and the fruit and nuts.
Mix to soft dough.
Knead for 10 minutes.
Rise until doubled.
Dalek tea towel optional.
Knead again.
Roll out to 30x20cm oblong.
Melt remaining butter and brush over dough.
Roll out marzipan along the centre of the dough.
Fold the long edges to overlap.
Press together and taper ends.
Place on greased baking sheet and brush with butter.
Top with sugar.
Leave to rise until doubled.
Bake at 190°C (170°C for fan ovens) for 45 minutes.
Cool.
Dredge with icing sugar .
Tom Out!
[1] The Good Housekeeping Institute & Central Marketing Organisation of German Agricultural Industries. 1976. Eating at Home German Style. Germany: National Magazine Company.