After Christmas

For those of you who follow me on FB you'll be aware that I love to decorate with cranberries over the Christmas holiday season. I love them, they're like little ruby jewels that I throw into my flower arrangements and mx them with oranges and cloves beneath my white Christmas candles. Having been to M&S I bough rather a lot of roses and cranberries, so many cranberries that I still have some here.. Oh what to do with them..

I discovered a recipe by a lady called Monika Hibbs, which I though I'd try just for you. I might add a section to this blog for recipes. Seriously I have more recipes in my phone than Nigel Slater.

Cranberry Brioche

Prep Time 4 Mins (took me a bit longer) Cooking Time 45 mins

Brioche Dough

4 1/4 cups of plain flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup of sugar

3 big eggs

1 cup of full fat milk

2 1/4 tsp. dry yeast

1 cup of butter room temp cut into cubes

Filling

3/4 cup fresh cranberries

3 Tbsp. water

1/2 cup of sugar

Instructions for the brioche

In a bowl add flour, sugar, salt and stir.

In a different bowl, pour a 1/4 cup of warm (not hot) full fat milk. Pour in the yeast mix it then let it sit for a few mins until it starts to bubble.

While the yeast activates mix the rest of the milk and eggs in a different bowl.

Using the dough attachment on your mixer add the egg mixture and yeast mixture stir on low until a dough starts to form.

Add butter cubes one by one ensuring that they've all been fully incorporated.

At this point your dough will be sorta silky and soft. If it's not just let it rest for a moment then turn the mixer on again slowly until it's silky.

Filling

In a pot pop the cranberries the sugar and water. Bring it to a simmer wait until the cranberries are softened, remove from the heat and let it fully cool.

Assemble

Punch the dough gently to let the air escape. on a floured surface roll out the dough about 18x12 inch rectangle. Now spread the cranberry jam all over the dough, tightly roll up the dough to create a log. Cut the log in two using a bread knife and place in two greased and floured loaf pans. wrap them up in a tea towel and leave them for about 45 mins.

Pre heat the oven to 350F

Mix an egg with some water and using a pastry brush, brush the top of the loaves. Bake for 40 mins or until golden brown. Then let them cool in the tins for 10 mins or so then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.