CRANBERRY AND ORANGE SHORTBREAD
Makes 2 x 20cm
500ml flour
250ml cornflour
180ml castor sugar
grated rind of 1 orange
250g butter, slightly softened
125ml dried cranberries, finely chopped
Combine the flour, cornflour, castor sugar and orange rind in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, switch the machine on and add the butter in pieces.
Mix until a dough is formed.
Add the cranberries and mix until combined.
Press the mixture into a greased 30x20cm pan. Prick with a fork.
Bake at 160°C for
30-40 minutes until pale golden brown.
Remove and cool slightly before cutting into squares.
Sprinkle lightly with extra castor sugar if desired.
Wrap well and store in an airtight container.
* For plain shortbread, omit the cranberries and the orange rind.
CRANBERRY AND MARZIPAN BUNS
Makes 12
125g dried cranberries
rind and juice of 1 orange
750ml flour
10g sachet of instant yeast
80ml castor sugar
10ml salt
80g butter, well softened
1 egg
about 200ml warm milk
60ml shelled pistachio nuts
125g marzipan or almond paste, cut into small cubes
glacé icing for drizzling
Put the cranberries in a bowl, pour over the orange rind and juice. Microwave for 1 minute. This plumps up the fruit. Remove and cool completely.
Combine the flour, yeast, castor sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the butter, egg and warm milk and mix using the dough hook to form a dough that is soft but not sticky. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth.
Place the dough into an oiled plastic bag and leave in a warm place to rise for about 40-50 minutes.
Remove the dough from the bag and roll out on a lightly floured surface to form a rectangle measuring about 20x40cm.
Scatter over the soaked cranberries, pistachio nuts and cubed marzipan.
Roll up the dough from the long side to form a sausage shape.
Cut into 3-4cm pieces and place, cut-side down, into well-greased mega muffin pans or a greased and lined deep oven tray.
Cover and set aside for 30 minutes to rise.
Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tins.
Place on a cooling rack and drizzle with glace icing.
* It is important to use proper marzipan for this recipe, so check the ingredients listed on the package to make sure it contains ground almonds.
Some of the almond paste available on the market does not contain almonds and will dissolve into a sugary mess when baked. I found proper marzipan at Woolworths and an imported brand at Pick n Pay.
CRANBERRY, APPLE AND ALMOND TART
Pastry
375ml flour
60ml icing sugar
100g butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
ice water to mix
Filling
250g dried cranberries
1 green apple, cored and grated
45ml brandy
rind and juice of 1 orange
125g butter, softened
125ml castor sugar
2 eggs
150g ground almonds
60ml flour
5ml almond extract
45ml flaked almonds
60ml apricot jam
PASTRY: Put the flour and icing sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse to form a mixture resembling breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and enough ice water to bring the dough together. Remove and knead lightly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough and use it to line a 20cm loose-bottom quiche tin. Prick the base. Cover with a piece of non-stick baking paper and weigh it down with some baking beans.
Bake at 180°C for
15-20 minutes until pale golden brown. Remove the paper and beans and return base to the oven for another 5 minutes to dry out . Remove and cool.
FILLING: Reserve a handful of cranberries for sprinkling and put the remainder into a bowl. Add the apple and brandy.
Remove 15ml of juice from the squeezed orange juice and set aside and add the remainder to the cranberries. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes or to hasten this process pop the bowl in the microwave for a minute.
Cream the butter and castor sugar. Add the eggs and beat well.
Stir in the ground almonds, flour and almond extract. Add the soaked cranberries and mix well. Spoon this mixture into the baked crust. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes until golden and the filling is firm. Remove and cool.
Combine the reserved orange juice with the apricot jam and warm in the microwave. Brush on to the tart. Sprinkle with the reserved cranberries.
CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY ROULADE
250ml dried cranberries
60ml sherry
200g dark chocolate plus another 100g, broken into pieces
45ml boiling water
6 eggs, separated
160ml castor sugar, divided in half
250ml ground almonds, divided in half
30ml icing sugar, for sifting
300ml cream
Combine cranberries and sherry and microwave for 1 minute. Allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 25cm x 35cm x 3cm deep Swiss roll pan.
Combine 200g chocolate and water together. Microwave for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
Beat egg yolks and half the castor sugar until thick and creamy.
Gradually beat in the cooled chocolate.
Fold in half the ground almonds.
Beat egg whites until firm peaks form and gradually beat in remaining sugar.
Gently fold into chocolate mixture and pour into prepared tray. Bake for 17-20 minutes.
Remove from oven, sieve icing sugar over the top, cover with a sheet of baking paper and invert on to a flat surface. Allow to cool.
Melt the remaining 100g chocolate with 100ml cream in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring halfway.
Stir until smooth, set aside and cool.
Meanwhile whip the remaining 200ml cream until thick and fold into chocolate mixture.
Spread the roll with chocolate cream and sprinkle with remaining ground almonds.
Scatter over soaked cranberries.
Gently roll up the chocolate sponge from the long side and place in the fridge to chill.
Sieve the icing sugar over and then decorate with the extra cranberries.
CRANBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE PANETTONE
150g dried cranberries
50g mixed peel, chopped
750ml flour
80ml castor sugar
10ml salt
10g sachet of instant yeast
grated rind of 1 lemon
grated rind of 1 orange
1 egg yolk
1 egg
15ml honey
10ml vanilla extract
100g butter, softened
180ml warm milk
100g white chocolate, chopped
egg wash for glazing
Line a deep 18cm-cake tin with non-stick baking paper, making sure that the paper extends about 10cm above the rim of the tin.
Put the cranberries in a bowl and pour over boiling water, then set aside for 5 minutes to plump them up. Drain off and dry with paper towel. Combine cranberries with the mixed peel and set aside.
Put the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and rinds in to the bowl of a mixer. Combine the yolk, egg, honey and vanilla and mix well. Add to the flour with the butter and enough milk to make a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Add the fruit mixture and white chocolate and knead until evenly distributed.
Put the dough into an oiled plastic bag and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size.
Remove from the plastic and knead lightly. Shape into a ball and drop the dough into the lined cake tin. Cover and set aside until the dough has doubled in size.
Using a sharp knife, cut a cross in the top of the dough.
Brush with egg wash and bake at 170°C for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing.
* Smaller panettones can be baked in mega muffin pans. - The Star