Paul Hollywoods Chelsea Bun Christmas Tree Food

TURKEY, STUFFING AND CRANBERRY CHELSEA BUNS

Steps:

• Place the flour, caster sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter, eggs, yeast, milk and warm water.
• Mix the ingredients with your hands until a rough dough is formed.
• Tip the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead well for ten minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough into a clean, oiled bowl , cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for one hour.
• Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface.
• Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 50x28cm/20x11in. Turn the dough so that the longer edge is closest to you and "tack" the dough to the work surface by pressing it down firmly with your finger.
• Spread cranberry sauce onto the surface of the dough with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the shredded turkey and stuffing on top.
• Roll the long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, forming a spiral inside. When rolled up, release the tacked edge and place it onto a floured part of the surface. With a sharp knife cut the sausage shape into 5cm/2in rounds.
• Place all spiral rounds, swirly side up, into a large, deep roasting tin or baking tray greased thoroughly with butter, leaving a 1cm/½in space between each one. You want them to be close enough so that they will bake with their sides touching.
• Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for an hour. They should have expanded and be touching each other.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• When the buns are ready, put them in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
• After removing the buns from the oven, let them cool slightly before removing them from the tin and placing on a cooling rack.
• When ready to eat, pull the buns apart to reveal the soft edges.

PAUL HOLLYWOOD'S CHELSEA BUN CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• Place the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other side.
• Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm. Pour into the flour mixture, add the eggs and stir thoroughly until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough. The dough will be sticky.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Alternatively this can be done in a stand mixer using a dough hook.
• Place the dough into an oiled bowl and leave to rise, covered with a damp tea towel, for one hour or until doubled in size.
• Mix the mincemeat with the diced apple, pear, orange zest, candied peel, pistachio nuts and cinnamon.
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 50cm x 45cm.
• Tack down the long side of the dough rectangle nearest to you by pressing it down onto the work surface with your thumb.
• Brush all over with the melted butter. Then spread the mincemeat mixture over the dough, leaving a 2cm border.
• Roll the opposite long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, until the roll is complete and tight. Trim the ends to neaten. With a sharp knife, cut it into 15 thick rounds of about 4cm.
• Line a very large baking tray, or the grill tray from your oven, with baking parchment.
• Arrange the rolls on the prepared tray (cut side up) in a Christmas tree shape: 1 on top, 2 underneath, 3 in the third row, 4 in the fourth row, 5 in the fifth row, and use some of the trimmings to make a trunk. You want the rolls to be close enough so that when they rise further and are baked, they will bake with their sides touching. They can then be pulled apart and you get a lovely soft edge.
• Cover loosely and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/Gas 5. When the buns are ready, put them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Check after 15 minutes or so and cover the buns with foil if they are getting too brown.
• Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool slightly before transferring them from the tin to a cooling rack.
• Melt the jam in a small saucepan with a splash of water until smooth. Brush the jam over the buns to glaze and allow to cool.
• Mix together the icing sugar, orange zest and 2 tablespoons of water. Place in a piping bag and pipe on the tree for garlands. Garnish with glace cherries, candied peel and chopped pistachio nibs.

TEAR AND SHARE CHRISTMAS CHELSEA BUNS

Steps:

• Place the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other side.
• Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm. Pour into the flour mixture, add the eggs and stir thoroughly until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough (the dough will be sticky).
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well for 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Alternatively this can be done in a freestanding mixer using a dough hook.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl and leave to rise, covered with a damp tea towel, for 1 hour or until doubled in size. This is best done in a warm room.
• For the filling, mix the mincemeat with the apple, pear, orange zest, pistachio nuts, candied peel and cinnamon.
• When risen, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 50x45cm/20x18in. Tack down the long side of the dough rectangle nearest to you by pressing it down onto the work surface with your thumb. Brush all over with the melted butter. Then spread the mincemeat mixture over the dough leaving a 2cm/¾in border.
• Roll the opposite long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, until the roll is complete and tight. Trim the ends to neaten. Using a sharp knife, cut it into 15 rounds about 4cm/1½in thick.
• Line a very large baking tray (or use the grill tray from your oven) with baking parchment. Arrange the rolls on the prepared tray, cut side up, in a Christmas tree shape, with 1 on top, 2 underneath, 3 in the third row, 4 in the fourth row, 5 in the fifth row. Use some of the trimmings to make a trunk. You want them to be close enough so that their sides will touch when the dough has risen. They can then be pulled apart and you get a lovely soft edge.
• Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and let the dough rise for 30-45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
• When the buns have risen, put them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden-brown. Check after 15 minutes or so and cover the buns with foil if they are browning too quickly.
• Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool slightly before transferring them to a cooling rack.
• To finish, melt the jam in a small saucepan with a splash of water until smooth. Brush the jam over the buns to glaze and allow to cool completely.
• Mix the icing sugar, orange zest and 2 tablespoons water together. Transfer to a disposable piping bag and snip off a tiny tip. Pipe garlands on the buns to resemble a decorated Christmas tree. Garnish with glacé cherries, candied peel and chopped pistachio nibs.

PAUL HOLLYWOOD'S CHELSEA BUNS

Steps:

• Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeast.
• Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm. Pour into the flour mixture, add the egg and stir thoroughly until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well for five minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough into an oiled bowl and leave to rise, covered with a damp tea towel, for one hour or until doubled in size.
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough into a rectangle about 30x20cm/12x8in.
• Brush all over with the melted butter. Evenly sprinkle the orange zest over the buttered surface, followed by the sugar, cinnamon and dried fruit.
• Tack down the long side of the dough rectangle nearest to you by pressing it down onto the work surface with your thumb. Roll the opposite long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, until the roll is complete and tight. With a sharp knife cut into thick rounds - about 4cm/1¾in.
• Grease a deep roasting tin or baking tray thoroughly with butter.
• Place the buns, cut side up, into the greased baking tray leaving about 1cm/½in of space between each one. You want them to be close enough so that when they rise further and then bake, they will bake with their sides touching. They can then be pulled apart and you get a lovely soft edge.
• Leave to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
• Preheat oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
• When the buns are ready, put them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden-brown. Check after 15 minutes or so and cover the buns with foil if they are getting too brown.
• Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool slightly before transferring them from the tin to a cooling rack.
• Melt the jam in a small saucepan with a splash of water until smooth. Brush the jam over the buns to glaze and allow to cool.
• Mix together the icing sugar, orange zest and two tablespoons water. Drizzle the icing over the cooled buns and allow to set before serving.

CRANBERRY & ORANGE CHELSEA BUN TREE

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Remove from the heat and add the butter, swirling to help it melt, then set aside to cool a little. Meanwhile, mix the flour, yeast, 50g sugar, the cinnamon and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl, or the bowl of a tabletop mixer. When the milk is warm, add it to the dry ingredients and combine to make a sticky dough. Tip onto your work surface and knead for 10 mins by hand, or for 5 mins in the mixe r until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Return to a clean oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave somewhere warm to rise for 1-2 hrs until doubled in size.
• Line your largest baking sheet with baking parchment. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll to a rectangle about 30 x 40cm. Grate the marzipan over the surface and scatter over the orange zest, fresh cranberries, 75g dried cranberries, 25g pistachios and 3 tbsp caster sugar. From one of the longer sides, tightly roll up the dough into a sausage, pinching the dough together at the other end to seal the open edge.
• Use a large, sharp knife to divide the sausage of dough first in half, then into quarters, then cut each quarter into three pieces, so you're left with 12 equal pieces of dough. Turn them all cut -side up and arrange on the baking sheet in a tree shape, using one piece for a trunk and leaving space between each bun for them to expand. Make sure the pinched edge on the outside of each bun is facing towards the centre of the tree, otherwise it may come unstuck and unravel as it cooks. You should have one bun left over - bake this alongside (treat for the cook!) . Cover the sheet in one or two pieces of oiled cling film and leave to prove for 30 -40 mins, or until doubled in size and just touching
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-22 mins until golden brown. While the buns cook, heat the apricot jam with 2 tsp water until runny, then set aside to cool a little. Mix the icing sugar with enough orange juice to make a thick icing and transfer it to a small disposable piping bag or plastic sandwich bag. You can spray the pistachios with gold spray at this point, if you like.
• When the buns are cooked, leave to cool for 15 mins, then brush all over with the apricot glaze. Snip the corner off the piping bag and drizzle icing over the top of the buns in random lines. Scatter over the remaining pistachios and dried cranberries and leave the icing to set for 10 mins before serving. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

CHRISTMAS BUNS

Steps:

• Put the flour and 1 tsp salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast. Meanwhile, warm the milk and butter in a pan until the butter melts and the mixture is lukewarm. Add the milk mixture and egg to the flour mixture and stir until the contents come together as a soft dough (add extra flour if you need to).
• Tip the dough onto a well-floured surface. Knead for 5 mins, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky.
• Lightly oil a bowl with the vegetable oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn until covered in oil. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
• For the filling, knock the dough back to its original size and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a 1cm-thick rectangle. Brush all over with the melted butter, then sprinkle over the sugar, cinnamon and fruit.
• Roll up the dough into a tight cylinder, cut into 9 x 4cm slices and position on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to rise for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Bake the buns for 20-25 mins or until risen and golden brown. Meanwhile, melt the glaze sugar with 4 tbsp water until syrupy.
• Remove from oven and glaze. Set aside to cool on a wire rack. Once cool, mix the zest and icing sugar with about 2 tbsp water to drizzle over the buns. Serve.