0 Christmas Sticky Buns

Now first things first, I can't claim credit for this bake, in the last few months Mr Lancashire Food has been developing his bread baking skills and these yummy festive buns are his first forage into the world of enriched  dough. Based on a chelsea bun recipe with the fruity hit being provided in this case by mincemeat and extra stickiness by spiced sugar butter ( granulated sugar mixed with ground cinnamon and ground allspice). They are delicious.

Ingredients

• 300g strong white bread flour 
• 50g light soft brown sugar 
• 1 egg - free range please
• 40g melted salted butter (cooled)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 7g dried yeast 
• Mincemeat - approx 1 large jar 
• Butter (soft) mixed with spiced sugar
• Warm water (blood heat) - approx 100-150ml ( all depends on the flour)

Method

• First mix the flour, sugar, salt, melted butter, and egg in a large bowl, with your hands until it is well mixed.
• Now mix the dried yeast and approx 100ml of the warm water into your mixture
• Mix this with your hands until you have a soft sticky dough ( add more water if needed), now knead for about 10 minutes on a floured surface until your dough is soft and elastic.
• Now leave in a covered bowl to prove and double in size, this may take several hours depending on the temperature of your room
• One doubled in size , gently stretch out into an approximate square approx 12" by 12"
• Spread your dough with the mincemeat , make sure you go all the way to the edges
• Roll up your dough in to a large sausage shape, cut into slices approx 1 1/2" thick
• Place in a baking tray, choose a container which will fit the slices snuggly. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for another 30 mins
• Pre heat your oven to 170c 
• When you are ready to bake your buns dot the top of each buns with the spicy  sugar butter 
• Bake until well risen and browned , checking your buns are baked through
• Leave to cool initially in the tin
• Then cool on a wire tray

Delicious and very very moreish, if you want snow on your buns sprinkle with icing sugar or alternatively drizzle with water icing. You could also play around with the spices you use in the spicy butter too.

Detail: Christmas Sticky Buns

0 Quick and easy mincemeat christmas cake

Want to have a home baked Christmas cake for your festive celebrations, but you've left it too late !

Over the years I have made various versions of mincemeat cakes when this predicament has occurred in our household, the mincemeat is a quick way to provide the moist fruitiness needed for celebration cakes, this recipe is by far the easiest I have tried. The other thing that is good about this recipe is that it doesn't actually require as long a bake unlike a traditional fruit cake.

I 'll cover decorating later in the post but first lets bake the cake.

Ingredients

• 1 jar of mincemeat ( ideally homemade or if buying a luxury type) - approx 400g
• 150g butter - softened
• 150g light muscovado sugar
• 2 eggs - free range
• 225g self raising flour
• 50g glace cherries (rinsed, dried and chopped)
• 100g currants or raisins

You will need an approx 8" round deep cake tin, ideally loose bottomed or springform, butter and line with double thickness greaseproof paper.

Preheat the oven to 160c

Method

• Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl or your food mixer
• Now add all other ingredients
• Mix throughly
• Turn into your prepared tin, level the top
• Bake for approx 1 1/2 hours , until tested cooked with a skewer, watch the top if browning too quickly cover with foil
• Allow to cool slightly in tin before removing to wire rack
• Once cool wrap with greaseproof and store in a cool dry place, until ready to decorate

Quick decoration with marzipan, regal ice and silver balls and star cutters of various sizes, I found some silver ribbon and wrapped it in some cellophane. Very festive if I do say so myself. 

Detail: Quick and easy mincemeat christmas cake