ROSCA DE REYES - Sweet Bread Crown

When I go on holiday I like to go off the beaten track and get a real feel for the place that I'm visiting, go to the  shops and cafes that the locals use and have an authentic taste of the country.  My family and I spent some time in Spain this year with a holiday in Lanzarote where we visited the volcano in the Timanfaya National Park and they cooked chicken from the heat of the volcano






and Tenerife where we had the most amazing sea food and fresh fruit.  I discovered a bizarre fruit which looks like a green pineapple but tastes like a banana and the delicious cake called Tarte De Saint Jaques, an almond cake that we couldn't get enough of.





Spain has lots of foodie traditions and christmas is no exception,  I always think that embracing different customs can only enhance our own celebrations and they usualy involve food which is always good with me.  

Three Kings Day which marks the end of christmas and traditionally the day when children get their presents, takes place 12 days after christmas and celebrates the day the Three Wise Men gave gifts to Jesus. Rosca De Reyes is customarily eaten on this day, a ring of sweet bread packed with dried and candied fruit which represents a crown worn by the kings. It also has a small doll hidden inside to symbolise jesus hiding from Herod. If you get the slice with the doll, you then host a party for Candlemass on February 2nd, more food, woohoo!

I am asked quite regularly what my favourite thing is to bake and it doesn't take much thought to reply with bread. This bread looks so spectacular when it emerges from the oven that everyone gasps.  You can use a variety of dried fruit like figs, cherries and cranberries, the more colourful the better.  I have used mixed fruit, cherries and crystallised ginger along with pistachios and flaked almonds to finish it off.  For extra christmas flavour I've also added some mixed spice and cinnamon and my secret ingredient is some of the beautiful cherry vinegar from Womersley Foods which gives it a whole different dimension with an added depth of flavour.

I can see this being a regular addition to our festivities along with Salmon Coulibiac on christmas eve and Guyanese Pepperpot for christmas breakfast.

500g Strong White Bread Flour
15g Quick Active Yeast
60g Butter
40g Sugar
10g Salt
2 Eggs
250ml Warm Milk

Filling
230g Mixed Fruit
40g Glace Cherries
40g Pistachios
40g Crystalised Ginger
25g Butter
1 tbsp Soft Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1 tsp Mixed Spice
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 tbsp Cherry Vinegar - Optional
20g Flaked Almonds
2 tblsp Honey

First Make the dough.  While you warm the milk add the remaining ingredients to the bowl of a freestanding mixer and process till everything is blended. Next add the eggs and mix, then the warmed milk.  The milk should be warm not hot.  Keep mixing till it comes together as a dough and tip it onto a lightly floured surface to knead.  It will be a little stickier than normal bread so harder to knead but it does come together eventually and you will get that lovely warm, smooth stretchy dough you want.

After 8-10 minutes of kneading sprinkle some flour into the bowl and return your dough.  Cover with cling film or a disposable shower cap and leave in a warm place to rise for 1hour.  It should double in size and fill the bowl.  While the dough is rising, mix the filling.  Cut the cherries into 1/4's, roughly chop the pistachios and cut the ginger into small pieces. Combine all the ingredients apart from the flaked almonds and honey.

When the dough has risen, on a floured surface roll it out into a large rectangle about 25cm x 75cm and spread the filling mix over it.  Using the long edge, roll the whole thing up into a sausage.









Now cut down the middle along the length of it and lay the two pieces next to each other, cut side up.  Carefully twist the two pieces together keeping the cut side uppermost.




Gingerly transfer the twined dough onto a baking stone or baking sheet lined with parchment and join the ends together to form a wreath.  Lastly, sprinkle on the almonds.  Now leave in a warm place to rise again for a further 45-60 minutes.

Sweet dough has a tendency to burn quite easily before it is cooked so tent the dough with foil for the first 15 minutes to avoid this.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 170c

Once it has cooked, transfer to a cooling rack and brush the top with warm honey to give your crown a shiny glaze.

I didn't have the traditional baby to hide but the Jesus from out Playmobil Nativity did the job!

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SALMON COULIBIAC

I feel guilty that I don't eat enough fish.  Meat is always my first option and I don't even bother reading the fish section on a menu when eating out.  I always think I'm going to be short changed with a delicate - read small, piece of fish thats going to leave me with dinner envy.  I am one of those people looking to see what other people have ordered instead of the menu to make my choice.

Coulibiac, originally a Russian dish, is like a meal in one and can never be accused of short changing anyone.  If you want to beef it up even more, you could add chopped boiled eggs to the rice. Served hot or cold it's just right for this time of year.

It is well documented that I am a fan of frozen puff pastry - life is too short! So it's just a case of making the rice and assembling, not very taxing.  Talking of ready made ingredients this is a good time to mention my secret ingredient which makes all the difference to the flavours.  I've told you about Womersley Foods and their delicious vinegars and dressings before.  They really inspire me and this recipe is perfect for the Lime, Black Pepper & Lavender Dressing.  I really recommend you try and get hold of them, I get mine from Delifonseca in Liverpool.  If you can't, try adding some dill, chives and juice of 1 lime with lots of black pepper. You could also try adding 2 tsp Curry Powder to the stock and coriander instead of parsley to make a kedgeree version.

This recipe is enough for 6 individual pies.

100g Long Grain Rice
500ml Fish Stock
200g Prawns
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped finely
Zest of 1 Lime
3 tbsp Womersley Lime, Black Pepper & Lavender Dressing
Salt & Pepper

6 x Salmon Fillets
2 x 500g Blocks Frozen Puff Pastry
1 egg

Cook the rice in the fish stock and leave to go cold.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Roll out the first block of pastry and cut into 6 squares, brush the edges with beaten egg and place a salmon fillet on each.  Top the fillets with rice, as much as you can.  It helps to press it down a little.

Now roll out the remaining pastry and divide into 6.  Pop these on the top and seal the edges.  I have used the circular end of a skewer to make the marks in mine but a fork is just as good.

Brush with beaten egg and bake for 25-30 minutes at 200C.

STRAWBERRY PANNACOTTA

With British strawberries in abundance at the moment, here is a summer dessert you can make ahead giving you time to relax in the sunshine.  I probably say this about most of the recipes I put on my blog, but I really do love Pannacotta.  My husband knows I will always pick it from a menu.  It's a simple dessert but it feels like eating velvet.  The strawberries only add to the luxury and it all helps with your 5 a day(!).  I've served mine with fresh strawberries which have been dressed with Womersley Foods Strawberry & Mint Dressing.  I've used Womersley dressings before, just the bottles are enough to make you want one but when you read the flavours it's difficult to know which to choose.  I get mine from Delifonseca in Liverpool but if you go to their website they have a list of stockists for you.  I find myself creating recipes around their flavours for sweet and savoury dishes.

200g Strawberries (hulled and choped) 30g Caster Sugar, 4 Gelatine Leaves, 500ml Whipping Cream

Soak the gelatine in water.  Blitz the strawberries and sugar in a processor until pureed.  Pour the puree into a small pan and bring to the boil.  Reduce the liquid by about 1/3 till it weighs 125g.  Pass it through a sieve to remove the seeds.  

Pour half the cream into the pan and bring to the boil, stir in the puree and remove from the heat.  Squeeze out the water from the gelatine and whisk into the strawberry and cream mixture, make sure the gelatine has dissolved.  Add the remaining cream and mix thoroughly.  

Pour into the moulds and refrigerate till set, about 4 hours.  Dip the moulds into boiling water to remove dessert and serve with fresh strawberries.

SHORTBREAD

So this is the last installment of my scottish inspired menu.  I'm finishing with two sweet treats to go with coffee or for your guests to take home, shortbread and tablet.

Short bread I think is quintessentially scottish with it's buttery crispness. I've added some different flavours to these more because I can't stop myself rather than it needs it.

BASIC SHORT BREAD

170g Plain Flour
30g Semolina
50g Sugar
125g Butter

Caster Sugar for dusting

Combine the flour, semolina and sugar.  The semolina helps make you shortbread short.  Next rub in your butter.  Due to the quantity of butter it get very sticky so it will be easier to do this in a freestanding mixer.

It should now be coming together so remove it from the bowl and form it into a dough by hand.

Roll the dough out to the thickness you want your biscuits, they will not change during the bake, and cut out your shapes.  Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprinkle with caster sugar.  Prick the tops with a fork and bake for 20-25 minutes at 170C

When they are baked to a light golden colour remove them from the oven and immediately sprinkle with caster sugar again.

Womersley Foods are producers of the most delicious vinegars, jellies and dressings made from home grown fruit and herbs inYorkshire since 1979.  I am totally in love with their products and actively seek out recipes I can add them to.

My round shortbread has 1 tbsp of Orange & Mace Dressing from Womersley along with 30g of Dark Chocolate Chips added to it.

The shortbread fingers have 1 tsp of Lavender Extract and 1 tbsp of Lavender Honey added to them.

You can add any of your favourite flavours, 1 tsp of Caraway seeds and Chocolate also work well or     1 tsp Almond Essence with a few chopped Glace Cherries always goes down well.

Tablet is a scottish version of fudge, crumblier than fudge but just as sugary and sweet.  My mother always made it for bonfire night and called it Helensburgh Candy.

2lbs Sugar
1/4lb Butter
1 Cup Milk
400g Tin Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Melt the sugar, butter and milk slowly in a heavy based pan.  If you melt it too quickly you will have a grainy texture. When it begins to boil add the condensed milk.  slowly bring it back to the boil stirring all the time.  Continue stirring while it boils till it starts to colour and the temperature reaches 240F.  It you don't have a sugar thermometer it takes about 15-20 minutes and you can test it by dropping a small amount into iced water.  If it sets immediately it's ready.

Remove the pan from the heat add the vanilla and beat till it cools.  You can do this in a freestanding mixer to save your arms.  Once it becomes thick and your mixer starts to struggle pour it into a 23cm x 17cm baking tray lined with parchment.  Be careful not to over beat as this will make it too crumbly.

Leave it to cool completely then cut into bite sized cubes. I know it sounds like a bit of a faff but it's not really and so worth it.