by Unknown
375 g/13 oz (17⁄8 cups) soft butter or margarine
250 g/9 oz (11⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch salt
500 g/18 oz plain (allpurpose) flour
125 g/5 oz blanched ground almonds
Per piece:
P: 1 g, F: 3 g, C: 5 g, kJ: 187, kcal: 45
1. Preheat the oven. Grease the baking sheet and line with baking parchment.
2. To make the dough, stir the softened butter or margarine in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer with whisk at the highest setting until smooth and homogenous. Gradually stir in the sugar, vanilla sugar and salt. Continue stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth and thick. Sift the flour and add 2⁄3 of it in small amounts while stirring at the medium setting.
3. Knead the mixture briefly with the rest of the flour and almonds on a work surface to make a smooth dough. Shape the dough into rolls, put the rolls into a pastry press and squeeze the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 12 minutes per baking sheet.
4. Slide the pastries with the baking parchment off the baking sheet and put on a rack to cool down.
Tip: Dip the ends of the cooled biscuits in melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts.
Variation: For black-and-white biscuits, sift 10 g/1⁄3 oz (2 tablespoons) cocoa powder and mix with 10 g/1⁄3 oz (1 tablespoon) sugar. Mix the cocoa and sugar mixture into 1⁄3 of the dough. Make dough rolls consisting of 2⁄3 light-coloured dough and 1⁄3 of dark-coloured dough, put in the pastry press and squeeze onto the baking sheet.
CHRISTMAS PASTRY
121 | Nut biscuits
Classic (about 40 pieces/2 baking sheets)
Preparation time: about 70 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 10 minutes per baking sheet
For the baking sheet:
some fat
For the filling:
about 200 g/7 oz hazelnut kernels
For the pastry:
90 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄4 cup) maple syrup
50 g/13⁄4 oz (4 tablespoons) sugar
1 pinch salt
50 g/2 oz (4 tablespoons) butter or margarine
4 teaspoons milk or water
50 g/2 oz Demerara sugar
1–2 drops lemon essence
1⁄2 level teaspoon ground aniseed
1⁄2 level teaspoon ground cloves
1⁄2 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
250 g/9 oz (21⁄2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
3 level teaspoons baking powder
For coating:
250 g/9 oz chocolate
4 teaspoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil
Per piece:
P: 2 g, F: 7 g, C: 1 g, kJ: 509, kcal: 121
1. Peel the hazelnuts for the filling. To do this, put the hazelnuts on a dry, clean baking sheet and cook in the oven heated to 200 °C/ 400 °F until the brown skin can easily be scraped off. Put the hot hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and scrape off the skin by moving the tea towel containing the hazelnuts in circular movements.
2. For the dough, melt the syrup with the sugar, salt, butter or margarine in milk or water in a pan while stirring continuously.
Transfer into a mixing bowl and leave to cool down.
3. Stir the Demerara sugar, lemon essence, aniseed, cloves and cinnamon into the almost cool mixture with the mixer at the highest setting. Mix together the flour and baking powder, sift and stir 2⁄3 of it in small amounts on medium setting. Knead the dough mixture with the rest of the flour on a work surface until smooth. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven and grease the baking sheet. Halve the peeled hazelnuts if desired.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 5 mm/3⁄16 in and cut out rectangles (7 x 2.5 cm/23⁄4 x 1 in). Place the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet, arrange the hazelnut halves on top and put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 10 minutes per baking sheet.
6. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and put on a rack to cool.
7. For the chocolate coating, coarsely chop the chocolate, melt with the oil in a bain-marie over low heat and coat the pastries with it.
Tips: Store the pastries separated by sheets of baking parchment in a well sealed container.
Other kinds of nuts may be used instead of hazelnuts.
You can also brush the pastries with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar crystals.
CHRISTMAS PASTRY
122 | Elisenlebkuchen
Classic–for guests (about 40 pieces/4 baking sheets)
Preparation time: about 60 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 25 minutes per baking sheet
For the baking sheet:
about 40 baking wafers (diameter about 6 cm/ 21⁄2 in, 10 pieces per baking sheet)
For the dough:
100 g/31⁄2 oz candied orange peel or lemon peel
2 medium eggs
200 g/7 oz (1 scant cup) brown demerara sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch ground cloves
2–3 drops rum essence
1–2 drops lemon essence
125 g/41⁄2 oz ground almonds, unblanched
1 pinch baking powder
about 100 g/31⁄2 oz ground hazelnut kernels
For the light-coloured icing:
150 g/5 oz (1 scant cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar
2–4 teaspoons hot water
For the dark-coloured coating:
75 g/3 oz plain chocolate
1 teaspoon cooking oil
Per piece:
P: 1 g, F: 4 g, C: 12 g, kJ: 387, kcal: 92
1. Preheat the oven.
2. To make the dough, chop the candied orange peel or lemon peel very finely. Whisk the eggs using a hand mixer with whisk at the highest setting for 1 minute until foamy. Mix together the sugar and vanilla sugar, then sprinkle over the egg whites for 1 minute, then whisk for another 2 minutes and stir in the cloves, rum essence and lemon essence.
3. Mix together the almonds and baking powder and, with the mixer at the lowest setting, stir quickly into the egg mixture together with the candied orange or lemon peel and as many hazelnuts as will ensure that the mixture remains spreadable.
4. Put a level teaspoon of dough on each baking wafer, then spread in a dome shape all over the wafer using a knife dipped in water.
Put the wafers on the baking sheet and put the baking sheet into the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 140° C/280 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 120° C/250 °F (preheated), Gas mark 1 (preheated),
Baking time: about 25 minutes per baking sheet.
5. To make the light-coloured icing, sift the powder, add water and stir to make a thick icing. Spread the light-coloured icing over half the ginger cakes immediately after they are taken out of the oven and put on a rack to cool down. Also put the rest of the ginger pastries on a rack to cool down.
6. To make the dark-coloured coating, coarsely chop the chocolate and melt with the oil in a bain-marie over low heat. When the remaining pastries are cold, coat the with the melted chocolate and leave to set.
Tip: Store ginger pastries in an airtight container.
CHRISTMAS PASTRY
123 | Mulled wine muffins
With alcohol (12 pieces)
Preparation time: about 25 minutes
Baking time: about 35 minutes
For a muffin sheet for 12 muffins:
some fat
plain (all-purpose) flour
> For the cake mixture:
75 g/3 oz plain chocolate
175 g/6 oz (7⁄8 cup) soft margarine or butter
175 g/6 oz (7⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons grated zest of untreated orange
1 pinch each cinnamon, cloves, cardamon (all ground)
3 medium eggs
150 g/5 oz (11⁄3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
30 g/1 oz (3 tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
3 level teaspoons baking powder
100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) mulled wine
For dusting:
some icing (confectioner’s) sugar
Per piece:
P: 4 g, F: 16 g, C: 31 g, kJ: 1197, kcal: 286
1. Preheat the oven at the top and bottom. Grease and flour the muffin moulds.
2. To make the dough, coarsely chop the chocolate and melt in a bain-marie over low heat, stirring continuously and leave to cool down a little. Stir the softened butter or margarine in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer with whisk until smooth and homogenous. Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, orange zest and spices, then continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
3. Add each egg separately and stir for 1⁄2 minute each time with the hand mixer at the highest setting. Mix the flour with cornflour and baking powder, sift and add the mulled wine in 2 stages with the mixer at the medium setting. Finally stir in the melted chocolate. Put the dough in the prepared muffin moulds and put on a shelf in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 35 minutes.
4. Leave the muffins in the moulds for 10 minutes after removing them from the oven, then take out of the moulds and put them on a rack to cool down.
5. If you like, you can out paper stencils with your favourite shapes (for instance stars) and dust with icing (confectioner’s) sugar.
Variation: For mulled wine muffins with prunes, add 150 g/5 oz finely chopped dried prunes to the dough. Stir together 50 g/2 oz (1⁄3 cup) sifted icing (confectioner’s) sugar and 1–2 tablespoons mulled wine to make a thick icing. When the muffins are cooled, coat them with this icing using a spoon.
CHRISTMAS PASTRY
124 | Gingerbread house
For children (3 baking sheets)
Preparation time: about 60 minutes, excluding rising and cooling time
Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet
For a baking sheet:
baking parchment
For the yeast dough (make recipe 2x):
200 ml/7 fl oz (7⁄8 cup) milk
75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) margarine
500 g/18 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
1 packet fast action dried yeast
75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 medium egg
For coating:
some condensed milk
For the icing:
250 g/9 oz (13⁄4 cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar
white of 1 medium egg
In all (excluding garnish):
P: 139 g, F: 163 g, C: 1149 g, kJ: 27920, kcal: 6670
1. Trace the pattern from these pages onto baking parchment. Preheat the oven and line the baking sheet with baking parchment.
2. Make the yeast dough 2x, one after the other. Warm the milk each time in a small pan and melt the margarine in it. Sift the flour in a mixing bowl and carefully mix in the yeast. Add the other ingredients and the milk and margarine mixture, stir with a hand mixer with kneading attachment, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting for about 5 minutes to make a smooth dough (do not allow to rise).
3. Divide all the dough into three parts. Roll out one-third of the dough (keep the rest in the refrigerator) on a lightly floured work surface and cut out the front and back wall of the house, following the pattern.
4. Roll out the second third, cut out the two halves for the roof, following the pattern. Roll out the last third of the dough to make a large, round base (diameter about 30 cm/12 in).
5. Put the various parts of the house in batches on the baking sheet and brush with condensed milk. Roll out the left-over dough to a thickness of 5 mm/3⁄16 in and cut out the decorative elements (door and windows). Arrange them on the walls and coat with condensed milk, using a pastry brush. Prepare and bake the various parts of the house one after the other.
Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),
Baking time: 15 minutes per baking sheet.
6. Remove the baked pastry off the baking parchment and put on a rack to cool overnight.
7. To make the icing, sift the icing sugar and, using a hand mixer with whisk, stir in just enough egg white to make a very a thick, spreadable mixture. Assemble the various parts together to make the house, using the icing to hold them together. Garnish to taste with biscuits or sweets. Stick these on with the egg white mixture and leave the icing to set.
Tip: The pastry must be allowed to dry thoroughly (preferably overnight), otherwise it could be too soft and the house could collapse.
You can even bake the parts several days before assembling the house.
Note: Only use very fresh eggs to make the egg white and icing sugar glaze.
CHRISTMAS PASTRY
125 | Advent calendar
For children
Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 20 minutes
For a baking sheet (40 x 30 cm/16 x 12 in):
some fat
aluminium foil
For the pastry:
200 g/7 oz (5⁄8 cup) maple syrup
120 g/41⁄2 oz (5⁄8 cup) margarine or butter
40 g/11⁄2 oz (11⁄2 tablespoons) sugar
100 g/31⁄2 oz candied orange peel
3 medium eggs
1 pinch each cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg (all ground)
2 tablespoons grated zest of untreated lemon
375 g/131⁄2 oz (33⁄4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
4 level teaspoons baking powder
3 level teaspoons cocoa powder
125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk
For the decoration and garnish:
100 g/31⁄2 oz icing (confectioner’s) sugar
4 teaspoons hot water
various nuts and candied fruits
In all:
P: 67 g, F: 130 g, C: 644 g, kJ: 16910, kcal: 4040
1. Preheat the oven and grease the baking sheet.
2. To make the dough, slowly melt the margarine or butter in a pan with the syrup and sugar while stirring continuously. Transfer to a mixing bowl and put in a cool place. Meanwhile, finely chop the candied orange peel.
3. Stir the eggs, spices and grated lemon zest into the almost cooled mass with a hand-mixer set on the highest setting. Mix together the flour, baking-powder and cocoa powder and add in small amounts, alternating with the milk, stirring with the mixer on the medium setting. Then stir in the chopped candied orange peel.
4. Spread the dough evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Place a piece of aluminium paper folded several times in front, and put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 20 minutes.
5. Leave the pastry to cool on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack. Cut out the shape of a house and make the gable by cutting away a triangle on the right and left. Make some small biscuits with the left-over triangles if you like.
6. To decorate and garnish, sift the icing sugar and stir into the hot water until smooth. Put in a small freezer bag or paper piping bag and cut off one corner. Using a knife,
scratch lines to make 24 sections and pipe the icing along these lines. Pipe the numbers 1 to 24 inside the sections.
7. Attach the walnuts and candied fruit with a little icing. Cut a slightly larger opening in the freezer bag and pipe the rest of the icing along the edges of the house as decoration.
Tip: Wrap the advent calendar in clingfilm or aluminium foil so that it remains moist.
CHRISTMAS PASTRY
126 | Mulled wine cake
For guests–with alcohol (about 16 pieces)
Preparation time: about 40 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 45 minutes
For a gugelhupf mould (diameter 22 cm/81⁄2 in):
some fat plain (all-purpose) flour
For the mulled wine:
125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) red wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
grated zest of 1⁄2 untreated lemon
1–2 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
2 teaspoons sugar
For the cake mixture:
150 g/5 oz plain chocolate
300 g/10 oz (11⁄2 cups) soft margarine or butter
300 g/10 oz (11⁄2 cups) sugar 3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
6 medium eggs
300 g/10 oz (3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
3 level teaspoons baking powder
For the icing:
250 g/9 oz (13⁄4 cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar
1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
Per piece:
P: 6 g, F: 21 g, C: 54 g, kJ: 1829, kcal: 437
1. To make the mulled wine, pour the red wine in a pan, add the lemon juice and grated lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, cloves and sugar, and bring to the boil. Then leave to cool down and strain through a sieve. Heat the oven at the top and bottom. Grease and flour the gugelhupf mould.
2. To make the dough, grate the chocolate finely on a grater. Stir the softened margarine or butter with a hand mixer with whisk until smooth and homogenous. Add the sugar and vanilla sugar little by little, stirring continuously until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Add each egg separately, stirring at the highest setting for about 1⁄2 minute. Mix together the flour and baking powder, sift and stir into the mulled wine in two stages with the mixer on the medium setting. Stir in the grated chocolate. Transfer the dough to the prepared gugelhupf mould, smooth the surface flat and put on a shelf in the oven.
