Christmas tidbits

Traditional panettonne

Ingredients

Dough 1
80 gm flour
10 gm yeast
2 egg yolks
30 ml water
6 gm sugar
6 gm gluten


Method
For  Panettonne  
Dough 1
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the eggs. Mix in the water and knead to make a smooth dough. Leave it to rest for four hours in a warm area under a damp cloth.

Dough 2
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Let the butter soften before mixing it in with the dry ingredients. Then, to that add the egg yolks and knead into a smooth dough. Add dough 1 to this and knead well. Cut into 10 gm ball and put it into moulds. Set aside for 10 minutes before baking at 170°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Once done remove and let it cool in a dry place.

Baileys cream cheese frosting
Cream the butter and sugar to form a smooth paste. Fold in the cream cheese gently. Add the Baileys and mix well. Garnish the Panettone with the frosting.

Dough 2
1 gm vanilla stick or essence
250 gm flour
80 gm sugar
4 egg yolks
4 gm salt
120 gm sultanas
80 gm orange peel
10 gm gluten
80 gm butter
1 gm clove powder
2 gm cardamom powder

For cheese frosting
150 gm butter
75 gm icing sugar
150 gm cream cheese
30 ml Baileys Irish Cream

Roasted white chocolate brownie

Ingredients
30 gm black currants
30 gm
cherries
30 gm raisins
45 gm almond
30 gm orange peel
30 gm tutti frutti
100 gm rum
2 gm cinnamon powder
2 gm clove powder
2 star anise powder

White Chocolate Brownie
140 gm butter
140 gm castor sugar
4 eggs
90 gm flour
10 gm corn flour
180 gm white chocolate
150 gm Christmas fruit
A little baking powder
Marzipan for decoration

Method
Mix all the fruits and spices in a container. Add in the rum and keep it airtight. Let the fruits soak for three days in a warm area.

For the brownie
Take the chocolate in a flat non stick pan and roast it till light golden brown. Add in the butter and mix it nicely till it becomes a smooth mixture. Whisk the sugar and eggs in a separate vessel till fluffy. In a separate bowl mix flour along with baking powder and corn flour, set aside. Add the chocolate mix to the with the sugar and the egg mixture. To that add the flour  mix and the Christmas fruits.

Mix gently and pour into small moulds. Bake At 180°C for 15 minutes. After baking let it cool and cover with marzipan and decorate with Christmas decorations.

Molten lava cake

Ingredients
113 gm semi-sweet baking chocolate
½ cup butter plus a little to grease ramekins
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour

Method
In a double boiler, melt chocolate. Once melted and shiny, remove pan from heat and add in butter. Mix until the butter melts completely. Set aside to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy (about three minutes with an electric mixer, five minutes by hand). Add chocolate-butter mixture into the eggs, add all-purpose flour and mix until well incorporated. Butter the bottom and sides of ramekins and pour in the mixtures until 3/4 full. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with ice-cream, fruits or whipped cream.