Russian Honey And Dried Fruit Bread Food

PORTUGUESE HONEY BREAD

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter loaf pans.
• Bring cranberries, candied fruit, and Port to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and set aside, covered.
• Pulse walnuts in a food processor until just coarsely chopped. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and spices and pulse to combine.
• Beat together butter (2 1/2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes in a stand mixer or 6 with a handheld. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Add one third of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined, then add molasses and mix until incorporated. Add half of remaining flour mixture and mix until combined, then add honey and mix until incorporated. Add yeast mixture and remaining flour mixture and mix until combined, then stir in candied-fruit mixture.
• Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops. (Do not let batter rise.) Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in centers of loaves comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pans on a rack 10 minutes, then remove loaves from pans and cool completely on rack.

RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Pour honey into a deep saucepan over medium heat. Boil until a shade darker and caramel-like in aroma, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat (such as Silpat®). Place a mixing bowl and a whisk in the refrigerator.
• Place a large metal bowl over the lowest heat setting on the stovetop. Add butter, sugar, 1/4 cup of the burnt honey, and regular wildflower honey. Let sit until butter melts, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Whisk butter mixture and let sit until very warm to the touch. Whisk in eggs. Keep mixture over low heat until it gets very warm again; whisk in baking soda mixture. Remove from heat. Sift in flour in 2 or 3 additions, stirring well after each, until batter is easily spreadable.
• Transfer about 1/2 cup batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread into an 8- or 9-inch circle using an offset spatula. Shake and tap the pan to knock out any air bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove liner from the pan and let cake layer continue cooling until firm enough to remove, 6 to 7 minutes. Invert cake onto a round of parchment paper.
• Repeat until you have a total of 8 cake layers, letting each cool on an individual parchment round. Trim edges using a pizza wheel to ensure they are the same size; save scraps for crumb mixture.
• Spread remaining batter onto the lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until edges are dry, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into small pieces; toss with reserved cake scraps.
• Return to the oven and continue to bake until browned, 7 to 10 minutes more. Let cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a resealable bag and beat into fairly fine crumbs using a rolling pin. Set aside.
• Remove the bowl and whisk from the refrigerator. Pour in heavy cream. Whisk until soft peaks form. Add remaining burnt honey and sour cream; continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
• Place a cake layer on a parchment paper round on top of a pizza pan or serving plate. Spread a cup of frosting evenly on top, almost to the edge. Repeat with cake layers and frosting, pressing the layers in smooth-side down. Place last cake layer smooth-side up. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Cover with crumbs; clean any excess crumbs around base.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours, to overnight. Transfer to a cake stand using 2 spatulas. Cut and serve.

RUSSIAN HONEY AND DRIED FRUIT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• In a small saucepan, heat the honey, bringing it just to the boiling point. Remove from heat and stir in the spices and baking soda. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and yogurt and beat together until smooth. Add the honey mixture and mix in thoroughly, then stir in the dried fruit and nuts.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the honey-nut mixture. Stir vigorously until thoroughly combined. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the batter. Pour into an oiled 9-by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan.
• Bake for 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center tests clean. Cool on a rack, then cover tightly with foil to store.
• Makes one loaf (recipe can easily be doubled).

HONEY PAN DULCE WITH NUTS AND DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup warm milk and 1 teaspoon sugar in large bowl; sprinkle yeast over and stir to blend. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture looks foamy, about 5 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup flour to form soft sponge. Cover sponge and let stand until very light and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk eggs, honey, butter, lemon and orange peel, salt, remaining 1/4 cup milk, and 6 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to blend. Stir egg mixture into sponge. Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, to form soft dough. Mix in additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is soft and just barely sticky. Turn out onto floured work surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flour by tablespoonfuls if still sticky, about 8 minutes.
• Butter another large bowl. Form dough into ball. Place in bowl; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Gently press dough down. Sprinkle with all fruits and nuts; knead in bowl to distribute evenly.
• Remove center tube of an angel food cake pan and place an 8-inch-diameter tart pan bottom inside to create 12-cup baking mold. Spray mold with nonstick spray, then butter and flour pan. Form dough into round. Place in prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume and almost level with top of pan, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake pan dulce until deep brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let stand in pan 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.
• *Available at some specialty foods stores and candy stores.

RUSSIAN HOLIDAY BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the eggs, milk, sugar, butter, salt, lemon zest, cardamom and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Beat in the almonds, citron, orange peel, cherries and raisins. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Shape into two loaves. Place in two greased 8x4-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes., Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

PORTUGUESE HONEY, SPICE AND ALL THINGS NICE, FRUIT BREAD.

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F (160 C).
• Butter 6 (6 by 3 1/4 by 2 inch) metal loaf pans. (2 to 2 1/4 cup capacity)
• Put cranberries, candied fruit, and Port together in a small saucepan and heat until it simmers. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
• Coarsely chop walnuts using a food processor then add the flour, salt, baking soda and spices and pulse just enough to combine.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, and then add the eggs 1 at a time, beating each in well.
• Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. If your mixture doesn't foam, discard it and start over with new yeast.
• Starting with one and a half cups of flour mixture added to butter mixture and mixing with an electric beater at low speed . add each of the following and combine after each addition : molasses, then another one and a half cups of flour mixture, then the yeast mixture, the final one and a half cups of flour mixture. Then hand stir in the candied fruit mixture.
• Divide batter among pans, smooth the tops. You don't need to let the batter rise.
• Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in centers of loaves comes out clean.
• Cool in the loaf pans on a rack for about 10 minutes, then remove loaves from pans and cool completely on rack.