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Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Orange and Cranberry Mini Christmas Loaf - Recipe by Eric Lanlard in association with Billingtons

Did you know that there is a Limited Edition Billington’s Orange and Cranberry Mini Christmas Loaf that Billington’s and master patissier, Eric Lanlard have created this Christmas? I can tell you that it is delicious!! These mini loaves are SO easy to make, taste fab, and use ingredients that most bakers would have in their cupboards this time of year.  Perfect for last minute gifts, or a treat to have with a cuppa whilst you recover from the festive rushing about.


The loaf is packed with seasonal ingredients including oranges, cranberries and cinnamon as well as Billington’s unrefined light Muscovado sugar - to ensure the best baking results. The loaves are on sale at Eric’s luxury cake boutique, but I have the recipe to share with you my dear readers. Oh yes!

Eric Lanlard and Billington’s Mini Gold Christmas Loaves – serves 6

Preparation time: 30 minutes


Cooking time: 30 minutes

Preheat the oven to 180C(fan 160C) 350F/Gas Mark 4.

Grease and line six mini loaf tins. Or use disposable ones available in supermarkets, perfect if you are giving these as a gift.

Ingredients:

200ml sunflower oil

175g ground almonds

200g Billington’s light Muscovado sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

4 free range eggs

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 orange

50g dried cranberries

50g Billington’s glace cherries

2 tbsp Amaretto liquor

For the decorations:

100g of sieved apricot preserve (or you can use jam)

1 orange zest cut in fine strips

50g Billington’s golden caster sugar

50ml water

25g Billington’s golden granulated sugar

Method:

The night before

Chop the cherries into quarters and soak overnight in the Amaretto.

On the day

Combine the ground almonds, Billington’s light Muscovado sugar, cinnamon and baking powder in a mixing bowl and mix together thoroughly. Break in the eggs, add the oil and mix gently together.

Using a fine grater, grate the zest from the lemon and the orange then add the cranberries and soaked glace cherries.

Turn the cake mixture into the tins - filling them 3/4 high and bake in the preheated oven for 30min or when the knife comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

In a small saucepan take the Billington’s golden caster sugar and water to the boil then reduce the heat to get a slight simmer and plunge the fine orange strips. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes then switch off the heat and leave the orange strips to cool down in the syrup.

Heat the apricot preserve and use to brush the top and side of the cool mini loaves. Take the confit orange strips and roll them into the golden granulated sugar. Then arrange them on top of the loaves to decorate.



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