The essence of the season is parcelled up in the sugar-dusted stollen I always make at this time of year. The dried fruits of plum pudding, the sweet, rich crumb of Christmas cake and the festive whiff of brandy and citrus all tied up with a scarlet ribbon. This annual fruit and marzipan loaf comes out, not as dessert, but in thick slices with midmorning coffee or, late in the afternoon for tea after a long walk.
This year I am making small buns from the fruit-freckled dough, each one resembling the snowballs of the mythical White Christmas I am longing for. I shall make them during the week and keep them in an airtight box – they seem to get even better – leaving Christmas Eve for making stock for gravy, fiddling with mince pies and wrapping presents. Scented with brandy and speckled with candied peel and dried apricots, they are an essential part of my Christmas.
I decided, several weeks ago, that I wanted a classic Christmas this year, with all the old favourites I consider essential. There will be sausage rolls, plum pudding and trifle, even if I will be mixing the sausage meat with garlic, thyme, fennel seeds and chopped pancetta for an Italian note, and the plum pudding has dried apricots rather than prunes in it, to bring a hint of the fruit’s delightful sharpness. This year’s trifle will be much loved layers of sponge, custard and cream, but with a layer of chilled stewed apple between them. Spiced with cinnamon, cloves and lemon, it will lend a refreshing note to the glorious clouds of sponge and cream.
There are still a few last-minute things to do. I shall be roasting almonds with honey, salt and chilli spices (mix 125g of unskinned almonds with 1 tbsp of oil, 3 tbsp of honey and 2 tsp of salt, put them in a shallow pan and cook over a moderate heat until the honey starts to caramelise. Tip them on to an oiled baking sheet, scatter with 1 tsp of shichimi togarashi and 1 tsp of fine sea salt. Leave to cool.) I will also be cutting halva into squares and dipping it into melted chocolate and making gingerbread for those who aren’t too fond of Christmas cake.
As the feast days get closer, I’ll be tossing fresh white breadcrumbs in a frying pan with butter until golden, then stirring in grated orange zest and crushed garlic and continuing to fry until crisp. Once they are crunchy, they’ll get a handful of vibrant green parsley and another of flaked, toasted almonds and will be ready to scatter over brussels sprouts, cauliflower or broccoli. At the very last minute, probably sometime on Christmas Eve, when the last parcel is wrapped and under the tree and the mince pies are made and ready to go in the oven, I’ll be warming glasses of cider with cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and slices of fresh ginger and raising a toast to this, the very best time of the year. Happy Christmas!
STOLLEN BUNS
If you prefer, make this into one large loaf. It will need a few minutes longer in the oven. You will also need a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Makes 15. Ready in just over 2 hours.
For the dough:
butter 125g
milk 150ml
dried fast-acting yeast 10g
plain flour 375g
caster sugar 75g
salt ½ tsp
egg 1
For the filling:
sultanas 100g
dried apricots 100g
orange zest and juice of 1
candied citrus peel 50g
brandy 5 tbsp
vanilla extract 1 tsp
green cardamom pods 8
poppy seeds 2 tsp
ground cinnamon ½ tsp
mixed spice ½ tsp
flaked almonds 50g
marzipan 200g
To glaze:
butter 50g
reserved marinade from the fruit 3 tbsp (or use honey)
icing sugar 5 tbsp
To make the filling, tip the sultanas into a large mixing bowl. Cut the apricots into small pieces and stir them together. Add the zest and orange juice to the fruit and mix with the candied citrus peel, then pour in the brandy and the vanilla extract. Mix well so all the fruit is moistened, then leave the fruit to marinate for about an hour.
For the dough, melt the butter in the milk in a small pan without letting it boil, then leave to cool. (It should be just warm, a comfortable temperature when tested with your finger.) Mix together the yeast and the flour in the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a dough hook, then add the sugar and salt. Break the egg into a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork, then add to the flour with the butter and milk. Mix thoroughly to a sticky, shiny dough. The mixture will get less sticky with time. When it feels soft and elastic, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm, draught-free place for a good hour until it has risen a little. (Don’t expect it to rise too much. The addition of eggs and milk mean it is unlikely to rise as much as a plain bread dough.)
Crack open the cardamom pods, extract the seeds and grind them to a powder. Mix them with the poppy seeds, cinnamon, mixed spice and flaked almonds. Put the bowl back on the machine, then mix in the spices and poppy seeds, the pieces of marzipan and the soaked fruits (drained of their marinade) into the dough. Reserve the marinade. Divide the mixture into about 15 equal pieces weighing approximately 80g–100g. Place them on the lined baking sheet and set aside for half an hour in a warm place, covered with a tea towel.
Set the oven at 170C/gas mark 4–5. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until nicely browned.
For the glaze, melt the butter with the reserved fruit marinade (or honey) in a small pan. As soon as the stollen buns come out of the oven, brush with the melted butter mixture and leave to cool, then roll each one in icing sugar.