KITCHEN TOWEL WITH LOOP RECIPES

Steps:

• Prepare Raisins
• Add the raisins to a large bowl and cover them with warm water. Let them soak for at least 2 hours
• Remove the raisins from the water, and use a lint-free towel to dry them thoroughly.
• On a cookie sheet lined with a dry lint-free towel, let the raisins air dry for at least 1 hour or as long as 4 hours.
• Make Almond Paste
• Carefully zest the lemon, and make sure that you only take the yellow, and none of the white pith.
• Add the almonds, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor.
• Pulse until you see no more pieces of almond, and the texture of the mixture feels like sand. You don't want to over-process this because it will turn into almond butter.
• Add the egg and almond extract, and pulse until it comes together, and you can easily form a ball from it.
• Wrap the almond paste in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for at least 1 hour
• Make the Dough
• Warm the milk up until it reads approximately 43ºC (110F).
• In the bowl of your stand mixer with a dough hook, add your flour.
• Add the yeast on one side of the bowl, and the salt on the other.
• Add the milk, sugar, and egg.
• Let the mixer run until the dough comes together. You may have to use a spatula to scrape the sides. Once the dough comes together, let the mixer knead it for another 5 minutes
• Add the softened butter and the speculaas spices, and knead until fully combined, at least 5 minutes
• Add the raisins, chopped nuts, and candied orange peel. Knead until it's evenly distributed.
• If the dough feels overly wet, you can turn it out on a liberally floured work surface, and knead it by hand for a few minutes.
• Return the dough back to the mixing bowl, and cover it. Let it rise in a warm spot for 1 Hour
• Prepare the Almond Paste Filling
• Note: The almond paste you've made yields more than you need for the two kerststol loaves. However, It freezes really well, I put it in a ziptop baggie, and press it flat. This makes it freeze and thaw really quickly. We use almond paste for many different recipes, so I always have some in the freezer. After the almond paste has rested, break the amount you need into small pieces in a bowl, and add the egg yolk and water. Using your hands, or a hand mixer, mix until fully combined.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Divide the filling into two equal balls. Roll the ball out until it's approximately a 30cm (12") long log. Try to roll it out as evenly as possible. Place the almond paste log on the cookie sheet. Repeat for the other ball of almond paste filling.
• Rolling and Filling the Kerststol
• Divide the dough into two even pieces.
• Flour your work surface, and roll out the first dough ball, until it's an oval that is at least 30cm (12") wide, and 20cm (8") tall.
• Take one of the logs of almond paste, and lay it on the dough, closest to you. You may have to press in the sides a little bit, to give yourself some space to close the ends of the dough up.
• Roll the dough up, around the almond paste. Pinch the ends close, and then pinch the seam close as well. Put it on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, seam down.
• Re-flour your work surface, and repeat this for your second dough ball, and the almond paste log. Make sure you have enough space between the two loaves on the cookie sheet, otherwise the sides that face each other won't bake as well.
• Cover the stollen with plastic wrap, and let them rise in a warm spot for another hour.
• Baking the Kerststol
• Preheat your oven to 190ºC (375F) in non-convection mode.
• Create two aluminum foil tents for both of the loaves. They need to be large enough to completely cover, without touching the bread, each loaf.
• Place the loaves of bread in the oven, on the middle rack.
• Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, but start checking after 15 minutes. You want to keep an eye out on the color of the crust. If the crust starts looking darker than a nice deep brown, place the tents over the loaves, to prevent the crusts from browning more..
• When done, take them out of the oven, and let them cool on a rack for a minute or two.
• Brush the crusts liberally with melted butter.
• Let them cool completely
• Finishing the Kerststol
• Before serving, melt some more butter, brush it on the top, and then generously dust the top of the kerststol with powdered sugar. The bread should look like a snow-capped mountain!

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the currants, raisins, candied peel, glacé cherries, mixed spice, nutmeg, orange zest and juice, the lemon zest and brandy together. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to soak overnight.
• The next day, put an upturned saucer or trivet in the bottom of a deep, wide saucepan and half-fill the pan with water. Bring to a simmer over a low-medium heat. Oil a 1.5-litre pudding basin and line the base with a circle of baking parchment.
• Stir the flaked almonds, apple, ground almonds, baking powder, flour, breadcrumbs, sugar and eggs into the bowl of dried fruit using a wooden spoon. Tip the mixture into the prepared basin, packing it in with the back of the spoon, then cover the surface with another circle of parchment. Cover the basin with sheet of baking parchment, followed by a double layer of foil, then secure it around the rim with kitchen string. Tie on a loop of string to make a handle. Carefully lower the basin onto the upturned saucer in the pan of simmering water and cover with a lid. Cook for 6 hrs, topping up with boiling water from the kettle if needed to ensure the water doesn't boil off below the halfway line.
• Once the pudding is cooked, remove the basin from the pan and leave to cool completely. Remove the pudding from the basin, wrap well in baking parchment and foil and store in a cool, dark place for up to three months. To reheat, return the pudding to its basin, cover as before and lower into a pan of simmering water. Cover and warm through for 1-2 hrs, then remove and serve with brandy cream.