Published in the Daily Press December 2012

APRICOT-ALMOND STOLLEN
Makes 2 loaves

½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup dark raisins
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup toasted almonds, chopped
¼ cup vanilla rum
1 cup milk, warmed
2 packages dry active yeast
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons almond extract
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ to 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted, for optional dusting
1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted, for optional icing
1 tablespoon vanilla non-dairy creamer or milk, for optional icing

Place the raisins, apricots, almonds and rum in a small bowl, stir together and allow the mixture to steep for an hour or so.

In a small bowl pour the warmed milk over the contents of two packets of dried active yeast. Allow to rest for several minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and almond extract in another small bowl.

In a larger bowl sift together the flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, slowly mix the pieces of butter into the flour mix. Note that this also can be done using a food processor. Simply put the flour and salt the bowl of the food processor and, adding the chunks of butter in several installments, pulsing until well combined.

Pour the liquids together and stir. Slowly add the liquids to the flour, stirring well with each addition. Once the solids and liquids have been incorporated, shape the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.

Drain the fruit-nut mix.

Tumble the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Evenly spread a portion of the fruit-nut mix over the top of the dough and knead together. Repeat until all the fruit-nut mix has been added to the dough.

Place the dough in a large, greased bowl and cover it with cling wrap. Put the bowl in a warm spot in your kitchen and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.

Grease two baking sheets and set aside.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it in half. Place each half on a lightly floured work surface and shape each piece into an elongated oval. Fold each almost in half so that the bottom edge extends slightly and place each loaf on a greased baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise again for 45 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake the loaves for 45 minutes or until browned on top. Remove and allow to cool slightly before either liberally dusting with confectioner’s sugar or brushing icing on the tops. To make the icing, add the milk or vanilla non-dairy creamer to the sifted sugar and stir together until blended.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-CRANBERRY PANETTONE
Makes 1 loaf

½ cup cranberries
¼ cup orange or cranberry juice
1 package dry active yeast
½ cup milk, warmed
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour plus a little extra for dusting the work surface
3 tablespoons butter, softened
¾ cup white chocolate chips

In a small bowl mix together the dried cranberries and orange or cranberry juice.

In another small bowl add the milk to the yeast. Once the yeast has dissolved, add the flour and sugar. Stir together until well combined. Cover the starter or biga with a sheet of plastic wrap and, placing in a warm spot, allow to rise until double in size, about 2 hours.

Grease a large mixing bowl as well as a panettone mold or 24-ounce coffee can. (If you do not have either a mold or empty coffee can, line a small, round, buttered baker with buttered parchment paper – the paper should be roughly 6” high.)

Whisk together the egg, yolks, vanilla, sugar and salt.

Add the starter and flour to the liquids and mix together. Once the ingredients are incorporated, place the dough on a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Add chunks of the butter to the dough and knead it to incorporate. Continue to need the dough until the butter is well-combined. Form the dough into a ball.

Drain and pat the cranberries dry.

Flatten the dough then add a third of the cranberries and chocolate chips. Fold the dough over and knead the ingredients into the dough. Repeat the process until all the cranberries and chips have been added.

Form the dough into a ball. Place it in the greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 1 ½ hours.

Punch down the dough, place it in the buttered panettone mold or buttered coffee can and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow one final rise, about 1 hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the plastic wrap and insert the panettone into the pre-heated oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

WALNUT ROLL
Makes 2 loaves

Dough:
1 cup milk, warmed
2 ounces fresh yeast
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
4 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

Walnut Filling:
2 cups walnut, ground
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium-sized bowl, pour the warmed milk over the yeast and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks.

In a large bowl mix together the flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, add the butter to the flour until completely incorporated.

Add the eggs to the milk and yeast and stir together. Slowly add the liquids to the flour, stirring well with each addition. Once the solids and liquids have been incorporated, shape the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and, placing the bowl in a warm spot, allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour.

While waiting for the dough to rise, mix together the walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, eggs and vanilla. Grease two baking sheets.

Once the dough has risen, divide it half and form two round balls. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out until you have a rectangle roughly ¼-inch thick and approximately 11 inches in length. Spread equal amounts of walnut filling on each piece, leaving about ½-inch of plain dough around the edges.

Grasping the long edge of the dough, roll it inward until you have something resembling a Swiss roll. Place the seam side face up on the baking sheet. Repeat with other loaf. Cover each loaf with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 45 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake the loaves for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes on baking sheets before moving to and cooling on wire racks.