Following on from yesterday’s gastronomic mention of a practice Christmas dinner, I’m in full-on baker mode now. Tomorrow we’re having a charity ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ for Children In Need, which once again sees the staff baking (or copping out and buying from a bakery on the way in) all manner of cakes which are sold for charity. So being the festive fellow I am I’ve been out this lunchtime and bought everything I need to bake a stollen with my favourite recipe. In fact I’ve bought twice as much so there’s one left at home for visitors and definitely not me with a cup of tea in the evening. Yeah, definitely not that.
Stollen. This stollen has no marzipan and is therefore rubbish.
I love stollen, it’s close to being my favourite cake-type treat. I think it’s because it’s not excessively sweet like normal cake, actually it’s not really a cake at all, it’s made in the same way as bread. That thick vein of marzipan running through the middle is just too good, it’s making my mouth water just thinking about it. It’s definitely worth buying really good marzipan, something with over 50% almond paste content, rather than that bright yellow chewy stuff. I’ve pretty much nailed the technique now and I can turn out pretty bloomin’ good stollen if I do say so myself.
For the faux Christmas dinner on the weekend we’re having a go at making creme brulee for dessert, so I can now honestly say I own a set of ramekins. I’m definitely not gay. Finishing up the baking for the next week or so I’m going to make a batch of chocolate biscotti. I was sent (faxed in fact!) a great recipe a couple of years back and I was gutted when I lost it, but as if by fate I noticed they were giving the book containing the recipe away for free when you bought the chocolate last year! Result. I’m not a big chocolate lover, but even I can’t get enough of this stuff.
In other news my desk is full of fruit, there’s a bowl of mixed nuts in the office with a nutcracker, and my new beard is coming on great. Exciting times I’m sure you’ll agree.