Make these perfect Christmas treats and wow your guests this festive season. Two mouthwatering recipes taken from the new Home Centre ‘Tastes of the World’ cook book.
Perfect Panettone
INGREDIENTS
For the Panettone
400 g flour
21 g fresh yeast
50 g 50 g sugar
100 ml lukewarm milk
grated lemon zest
175 g soft butter
3 eggs
50 g raisins
75 g candied fruit, (e. g. mixed peel, glacé cherries)
2 tbs apple juice
50 g slivered almonds
icing sugar
For the cream
500 ml milk
1 vanilla pod, (cut in half lengthways, seeds scraped out
6 egg yolks
100 sugar
3 tbs flour
150 ml cream, at least 30% fat
METHOD
Sift the flour into a bowl and create a well in the middle.
Place the yeast in the well and stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk.
Cover and leave to rise for around 20 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, milk, lemon zest, butter and eggs to form smooth dough that comes away easily from the edge of the bowl.
Cover and leave to rise for another 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200°C and line the baking tins with grease-proof paper. Soften the raisins and candied fruit in the apple juice and then stir into the dough along with the almonds.
Shape into 12 balls and place them in the baking tins.
Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly then remove from the tins and leave to cool completely.
Cut a lid off each cake and hollow each one out.
To make the cream, place the milk, vanilla seeds and the vanilla pod in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously.
Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and fold in the flour.
Slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture in a thin stream and mix well, then return everything to the pot.
Remove the vanilla pod and on low heat, bring to a boil once again, stirring continuously.
Leave to cool stirring every now and then.
Whip the cream until stiff and fold into the vanilla cream.
Pour into the cakes, place the lids on top and serve dusted with icing sugar.
To give the panettone a nice glazed finish, you can brush it with melted butter while the bread is still hot.
Mini Turkey Quiches
INGREDIENTS
For the Pastry
300 g flour
1 pinch salt
200 g soft butter, chopped
1 egg
For the topping
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 egg
350 g crème fraîche
salt
ground black pepper
nutmeg
12 strips turkey bacon, diced
100 g Gorgonzola, cut into pieces
Additionally
butter, to grease the tins
legumes for blind baking, eg. dried peas
flour, for the work surface
METHOD
Pile the flour on the work surface and stir in a pinch of salt.
Create a well in the middle and place the butter around the well.
Crack the egg into the well and knead all the ingredients together so that breadcrumbs are formed.
Quickly knead into a smooth dough, shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 180°C and grease 8 tartlet tins.
Split the pastry into 8 equal pieces and roll them out on a floured work surface to fit the tartlet tins (8–10 cm in diameter).
Place the pastry in the tins creating an edge.
Cover with baking paper, add the legumes and bake for 5 minutes.
Mix together the onion, egg and the crème fraîche.
Season with salt, ground black pepper and nutmeg.
Remove the tartlets from the oven, leave to cool then remove the peas and the baking paper and top with the crème fraîche mixture.
Add the turkey and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with the Gorgonzola then return the tartlets to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Remove once again, leave to cool and serve lukewarm.
Make vegetarian variations by substituting the turkey with roasted capsicum or tomato; or with spinach and feta cheese
