Cinnamon Bread

A few weeks ago Donal Skehan posted a picture of some scrummy looking baked eggs on twitter.  I'm not a big egg fan and only eat them scrambled but knew my husband would like them.  I resolved to make him a special breakfast of them the following Sunday.  It didn't happen that weekend, or the one after that or the one after that.  I finally got round to making them for him this weekend.  We've had a pretty hectic few weeks so I decided on a lazy weekend with lots of time to bake and cook and eat. 

On Saturday I came over all domestic goddess and after scrubbing the house donned my apron.  I started the process for a sourdough bread starter (more to follow on this).  I then toddled off with my pretty floral shopping bag and filled it with all manner of yumminess so that I could cook a special dinner followed by a delicious breakfast the next morning.  Another recipe I had been meaning to make for Mr. Boo is The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Bread.  He is a fan of all things cinnamon and he enjoyed a similar bread in Ruby's Diner in Huntington Beach, L.A., so much that he hasn't stopped talking about it since.  He had that bread six years ago!

The following morning my sister text to say she had some cakes from Roly's Bistro for me so I told her to join us for our late breakfast.  Donal's eggs went down very well with all at the table and his Spanish potato and chorizo hash (without the fried eggs) that I made to accompany them was positively hoovered up by my sister and the recipe requested.  After breakfast we managed to squeeze in some cinnamon bread and even a little cake or two.  A perfect Sunday morning.

These are the Roly's cakes that we didn't quite manage to finish off

for breakfast so Mr. Boo & I had a nice dessert.

While the end result for this bread was totally scrummy toasted and smothered in butter I did find it required a bit of effort to make.  The dough requires mixing with a dough hook for 10-15 minutes, not an issue if you have a freestanding electric mixer, but I was using a hand held so it took a little arm power.  I also felt that the dough was very moist and sticky, so much so that it was impossible to handle without it sticking to hands and generally making life very messy.  There is a note on the original recipe to add 30g of extra flour if this is the case.  I had to do that 3 times to get it to a manageable consistency.  It was most definitely worth it though and I think next time I make it I will have a better understanding so can add extra flour as I am kneading with the dough hooks to avoid extra kneading time afterwards.   Don't be put off by this though, it is a delicious bread, almost cake like, so definitely worth it for a weekend breakfast treat.  I found it similar to a brioche with a delicious swirl of moist, sweet cinnamon running through it.  Enjoy!

I have linked to the original recipe above but have converted it to g/oz measurements below. 

The Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Bread
(makes 1 x 1lb loaf)

240ml Milk
90g/3oz Unsalted Butter, plus extra for greasing
7g Sachet Yeast
2 Large Eggs
75g/2.65oz Caster Sugar
420g/14.82oz Plain Flour
1tsp Salt
1 Egg and some milk to glaze

For the filling
2tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
75g/2.65oz Sugar
2tbsp Cinnamon

1.  Melt the butter and milk until very warm but do not allow them to boil.  Allow them to cool until still warm to the touch, but not too hot.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2.  Mix the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a free standing electric mixer until combined.  Add the milk mixture and mix until combined.  Sieve in half of the flour and salt and mix until combined, repeat with the remaining flour.  Alternatively you can do this in a large bowl using a hand held electric mixer.

3.  Switch to dough hook attachments and knead on a medium speed for 10 minutes.  If the dough is overly sticky at the end of this time add an additional 30g(a little over an oz) of flour and knead for a further 5 minutes.  Repeat this if necessary until you have a consistency that you can work with (I had to add 90g of additional flour in 3 stages as I found the dough very wet).
4.  Spray a bowl with a little oil.  Transfer the dough to the bowl and toss in the oil.  Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place in a warm, draught free place( I use my hot press) for 2 hours.

5.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Melt 2tbsp of butter.  Grease a 1lb loaf tin.
6.  Generously flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it.  Flour your hands generously, then flatten with your hands and shape into a rectangle.  Measure the width against your loaf tin to ensure it will fit in.  When you are happy with the shape smear with the melted butter and sprinkle the sugar on top in an even layer.

7.  Roll from one end of the dough to the other keeping it as tight as possible.,, pinch the seam to seal.  Place into the prepared loaf tin, seam side down,  and flatten slightly to fill any gaps.  Cover with clingfilm and return to a warm, draught free place to rise again.

8.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.  Mix 1 egg with a little milk in a small bowl.  Glaze the top of the loaf with the egg/milk mix and place into the preheated oven, below the centre, for 40 minutes.  Remove for the oven and allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Christmas Cake Cookies

If you are a regular reader of this blog you may have picked up on the fact that I am not a huge fan of dried fruit.  I can tolerate it, sometimes I quite fancy a fruit scone. Given the choice though, chocolate or creamy desserts always come out on top for me.  However, I am rather partial to an oatmeal cookie with my Butler's hot chocolate.  The cookies are rather substantial in size with a perfect chewy consistency and are perfect on a cold winters day, it's spices warming you from within.

As I soaked some fruit for a Christmas cake mixture the other night I remembered the Butler's cookie and wondered would it be possible to create something similar but with a festive twist.  I find that Christmas cake can be a little fruit heavy and wanted a lighter alternative to enjoy while faces are stuffed with cake and pudding on the big day.  I sat and scribbled in my notebook that evening and came up with a recipe I thought would work.  I busied myself in the kitchen this afternoon testing out my efforts and I am more than pleased with the end result.  So happy in fact that I scoffed two in quick succession and my brain has been monopolised with thoughts of a third ever since.

These cookies are the perfect baking exercise for a snowy Sunday afternoon.  I highly recommend eating while still warm from the oven, accompanied by a steaming mug of hot chocolate; or allow them to cool and serve with a glass of milk.  They are delicious either way, that is why I had to eat two, so that I could inform you accurately.  It's tough but I have to do it for the greater good of cookie lovers everywhere.  Enjoy!

Christmas Cake Cookies
(Makes 12 large cookies)

110g/4oz Unsalted Butter, softened
170g/6oz Dark Brown Sugar
0.25tsp Salt
1 Large Egg
1tsp Vanilla Extract
2tbsp Water
2tbsp Brandy
2tbsp Treacle
90g/3oz Plain Flour
0.5tsp Baking Powder
0.5tsp Baking Soda
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
0.5tsp Mixed Spice
0.5tsp Ground Nutmeg
100g/3.5oz Oatmeal Flakes
30g/1oz Crystallised Ginger, finely chopped
40g/1.33oz Raisins
40g/1.33oz Sultanas
40g/1.33oz Currants
40g/1.33oz Dried Cranberries
50g/1.66oz Almonds, blanched and chopped

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2.  Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.

3.  In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar and salt, with an electric whisk, until smooth.  Add the egg, vanilla, water, brandy and treacle and whisk to combine.  The mixture might seem quite wet and runny don't worry, this is exactly how it should be.
4.  Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices into the wet ingredients.  Add the oat flakes and gently fold in. 
5.  Add the crystallised ginger(toss this in a little flour to stop it sticking together and sinking), dried fruit and nuts and mix to distribute evenly.  The mixture may still seem quite wet at this stage but it will be fine.
6.  Using an ice cream scoop place level scoops of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets approximately 1.5" apart(they will spread in the oven).  Flatten the tops slightly with the back of a wet spoon.

7.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.  The cookies should still be slightly wobbly when they come out of the oven but with a thin, crisp shell.  They will firm up slightly as they cool, but will remain moist and chewy on the inside.  Allow to cool for 10 mins on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container(if they last long enough to be stored that is).

Mam's Christmas Pudding

My brain has become a little fazzled of late thinking up new recipes and dreaming up ways to improve some oldies but goodies.  I also have writers cramp from scribbling in my blog notebook.  I have pages of yummy things to try out and I just wish I could grow another me to make it possible, but I will eventually get around to trying them all out soon.  For this reason when it came to developing my own recipe for Christmas pudding my brain just point blank refused to work.  Normally this would bother me, I would sit pen in hand until driven with distraction and the task was finished but I decided to take the 'life's too short' approach this time.  Christmas is not too far away and the puddings need a bit of time to mature, and had I forced the task at hand I would not have enjoyed it and mixed my puddings with a bad heart, and we all know you can't make a cake with a bad heart.  It just won't taste good.  I swear.

I decided I would stick with my mam's recipe as it is well tried and tested.  I combined all of the ingredients on Wednesday and left them to sit overnight to thicken.  Every time I walked into the kitchen I was assaulted by the aroma of Christmas, and I couldn't help but sneak a peak under the tea towel every now and then.  Last night I added the Guinness and myself and Mr. Boo both stirred the mix 3 times towards our hearts before making a wish.

It was tradition in our house that the puddings could not be cooked unless everyone who lived in the house had made a wish.  I'm not entirely sure where the tradition originated but I do remember that even when I was too small to stir the mixture by myself my mam or dad would help me and I would make my wish.  I wouldn't dream of ever skipping this vital step.  I am sure it will have no bearing on the taste of the finished article but I almost feel as though I am stirring through some Christmas magic with each turn of the wooden spoon and I wouldn't dare risk leaving that out.  We all need a little Christmas magic in our lives so go on, gather everyone around and one by one stir 3 times towards your heart and make a special wish. 

I would love to hear if you had this tradition in your house or any other Christmas pudding traditions.  Please leave me a comment as I love to hear from you.

xxx

Mam's Christmas Pudding
(makes 2 puddings)

175g/6oz Self -Raising Flour
1 level tsp Mixed Spice
1 level tsp Ground Cinnamon
0.5 level tsp Ground Nutmeg
225g/8oz White Breadcrumbs
350g/12oz Dark Brown Sugar
450g/1lb Currants
225g/8oz Raisins
225g/8oz Sultanas
125g/4oz Mixed Cut Peel
125g/4oz Glaze Cherries(halved)
50g/2oz Almonds(blanched and chopped)
Finely grated rind of 1 Orange
Finely grated rind of 1 Lemon
225g/8oz Margarine(melted)*
3 large Eggs(lightly beaten)*
2tbsp Brandy*
275ml/0.5pint Guinness(or other stout)

*beat this ingredients together

Firstly I am going to give you some tips before I start into the instructions:

It is very important to be organised when making Christmas cakes and puddings to avoid it becoming stressful.  There are quite a few ingredients so I find measuring everything in at the same time a having it ready to go into the bowl at the same time really helps.  Once the ingredients are measured the rest is a doddle.

The bread needs to be slightly stale to make the breadcrumbs but if you have forgotten to buy it in advance you can pop fresh bread into the oven on a low heat (approx. 100C) for 15mins to dry it out.  It is important that there is no moisture in the bread to prevent mould forming.

Toss your glace cherries in some flour before adding to the mix to stop them sinking to the bottom.

When adding the dry fruit to the flour mix I find it easier to add each item individually and tossing it gently in the flour to evenly distribute, if you just dump it all in and then add the wet ingredients it can mean some extra elbow grease is needed to mix it all well.

Enjoy it.  I find it very relaxing and the wonderful aroma of the spices and zest and alcohol just scream Christmas so don't do it when you are stressed and rushing, allow it the time it deserves and savour the Christmas spirit.

1.  Sieve the flour and spices into a large bowl.
2.  Add the breadcrumbs, sugar, prepared fruit, nuts, lemon and orange zest and mix thoroughly.

3.  Make a well in the centre then pour in the melted margarine and beaten egg and brandy mixture.  Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

4.  Cover and leave to stand overnight to thicken.
5.  The next day add the Guinness and mix thoroughly again. ( It's at this stage you make your wish)

6.  Grease 2 x 2 pint/1.1lt pudding bowls.
7.  Cut 2 large circles of grease proof paper for the top of each bowl, grease the bottom layer well and make pleats cross wise in the paper.
8.  Cut a large circle of foil for each bowl and make pleats cross wise in it.

For each pudding you will need:

1 x 2pint/1.1lt Pudding Bowl(greased)

2 x Circles of Greaseproof Paper(1 greased)

1 x Circle of Tin Foil

1 x Large Elastic Band

Twine

9.  Place the mixture into the prepared bowls.

10.Cover each bowl with two layers of grease proof paper(make sure the greased sheet is greased side down on top of the bowl).  Secure in place with some twine or a large elastic band.  Pull tight across the top of the bowl.

I usually cut the paper a little too big and trim

when it is secured in place.

11.Place a layer of tinfoil over the grease proof paper and again secure with twine or a large elastic band.  Pull tight across the top of the bowl.

You may also like to trim your tin foil when

secured in place.

12.Place the lid firmly on the bowl.

13.Tie some twine around the bowl(as if tying up a parcel) and secure on top of the bowl with a loop to make it easier to lift the bowl from the pot when cooked.

14.Place a small clean cloth(this stops the saucer moving around with the simmering water and making noise) into the bottom of a large pot and sit an upturned saucer on top.

15.Sit the pudding bowl on top of the saucer and pour boiling water into the pot until it comes half way up the sides of the bowl.

16.Cover with a tight fitting lid and boil for 6 hours.  (check occasionally to ensure the level of the water hasn't dropped, top up if needed)

17.When the puddings are cooked, remove carefully from the pot and allow to cool completely.
18.When cold remove the damp papers and recover with fresh double grease proof paper(not greased) and store in a cool dry place.