Stollen cupcakes recipe

Made with sultanas, currants and sticky glacé cherries, these tasty Stollen cupcakes take the classic Christmas recipe and give it a fresh spin. The key to flavour in this recipe is letting the mixture prove. This means leaving it for over 2hrs to rise and absorb all the spicy flavours, then bake in cupcake cases for 40mins until golden and springy to touch. Top these cakes with a simple icing and festive decorations of your choice. These Christmas cupcakes would make a great Christmas Eve treat but don’t forget to make in advance.

Ingredients

• 1x7g pack dried yeast
• 170ml warmed milk
• 1½tsp salt
• 100g caster sugar
• 75g butter (softened)
• 1 egg
• 370g bread flour
• 60g currants
• 60g sultanas
• 60g glacé cherries
• 40g peel (optional)
• 1tsp ground nutmeg
• 75g marzipan
• 1tsp cinnamon to sprinkle
• 3tbsps icing sugar
• A few drops of water
• Almond extract 
• Sliced almonds (to decorate)

Method

1. Warm the milk in the microwave for about 20 seconds and add the yeast to it.
2. Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl (leaving the cinnamon to one side) and make a well in the centre. Add the egg, softened butter and yeast and milk to the well and mix with your hand until you have a dough.
3. On a floured surface, knead in the currants, sultanas, peel and cherries to the dough and pop in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 2 hours to prove.
4. After the two hours, knock the dough down, roll into a long sausage and divide it into 12.
5. Roll the marzipan onto a log sausage and divide it into 12.
6. Taking one piece of the dough, flatten and place one piece of marzipan in the centre, fold the dough around the marzipan and pinching in at the centre to seal it. Place, pinch-side down, into the paper cases and repeat until you have finished all 12. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cover the pan with cling film and prove for a further 40 mins.
7. While they are proving, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. When the cupcakes are ready, bake in the oven for 10 mins, then reduce the temp to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1 and bake for a further 30 mins.
8. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
9. Add a few drops of water and the almond extract to the icing sugar to make a paste. Add a touch to the tops and decorate with almonds or Christmassy decorations.