Friday 22 August 2014

Cranberry and orange dough

Cranberry and orange dough Special


for making  2 small twists

Filling
200g dried cranberries, roughly chopped
juice of 3 oranges (150ml) (or good-quality store-bought orange juice) – zest 2 oranges first and reserve zest for dough
1½ tsp. corn flour, mixed to a slurry with 1 tbsp. water

Dough
400g plain flour
20g caster sugar
good pinch of salt
25g baking powder
zest of 2 oranges
70g butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
200ml milk

1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
additional flour for dusting

Vanilla White Icing
25g butter
45g cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract with seeds
150g icing sugar

Prepare filling a day in advance. Place cranberries and juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, add the corn flour slurry and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick. The cranberries should soften and swell during cooking. Allow mixture to cool. Tip mixture out onto a chopping board and chop with a large chef’s knife to give a thick, spreadable paste. Set aside.

The next day, sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir in orange zest. Add softened butter and rub in using your fingertips and thumbs until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk egg, vanilla and milk together in a bowl and pour into dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, mix together to form a soft dough.

Tip dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 10–20 seconds. Take care not to over-knead or the dough will become too elastic. Cut dough into two equal pieces and shape into squares. Using a rolling pin
on a floured work surface, roll out each dough piece to a 25cm square.

Divide filling in half. Using a palette knife, spread filling evenly on each dough sheet, leaving about 1cm free along one edge. Brush egg wash along that edge. Working towards the edge painted with egg wash, firmly and tightly roll up each dough sheet to achieve a Swiss roll or log shape. Using a large chef’s knife or dough scraper, make a single cut lengthways right through the middle of each log. For each log, take one strand in each hand, with the cut side of each strand facing upwards. Beginning at one end, twist strands around each other down the length of the strands. Press the ends firmly together so they do not unwind during baking.

Place twists on a baking tray lined with baking paper, keeping them well apart so they don’t join together during baking. Brush with egg wash and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Bake twists in a preheated 210ÂșC oven for 25–30 minutes. Turn tray halfway through baking time to ensure an even colour. While loaves are baking, make icing. Cover and set aside.

Remove twists from oven and leave to cool slightly. While they are still warm, gently heat icing in a microwave and use a pastry brush to brush it over the twists. Leave to cool completely before eating.

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and gently melt together over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula. Use while warm.

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