Festive Teacakes – for your toasted pleasure!

Delicious, soft and buttery with a fragrant spicy hit, these teacakes fill the house with an irresistible aroma. But, I’ve got to admit to it, this is an adapted Paul Hollywood recipe. Cheeky I know but when something is that good, it just has to be taken, tweaked and revamped as a luxurious festive treat. My family seem to really appreciate a tasty spiced morsel so I thought teacakes with an added bit of Christmas flavour would really hit the spot. Thus, the mincemeat toasted teacake was unveiled, and it tastes pretty darn good!

Ingredients

– 520g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

– 10g salt

– 60g caster sugar

– 1 tsp ground cinnamon

– 1tsp ground nutmeg

– 10g instant yeast

– 50g unsalted butter, softened

– 250ml cool water

– Vegetable oil for kneading

– 100g mincemeat

– 100g sultanas

– 1 egg beaten, to glaze

Method

1. Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt, sugar and cinnamon to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the butter and three-quarters of the water, and turn the mixture round with your fingers (or a dough hooked machine). Continue to add the water, a little at a time, until you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all the water, or you may need to add a little more – you want dough that is soft, but not soggy. Use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl and keep going until the mixture forms a rough dough.

2. Keep kneading for 5-10 minutes. Work through the initial wet stage until the dough starts to form a soft, smooth skin.

3. When your dough feels smooth and silky, put it into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until at least doubled in size – at least 1 hour, but it’s fine to leave it for 2 or even 3 hours.

4. Line 2 baking trays with floured baking parchment or preferably silicone paper.

5. Tip the sultanas and mincemeat on top of the risen dough in the bowl and start working them into it. After a minute or two, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the fruit is thoroughly mixed in. A little extra may be needed to counteract the wet mincemeat, depending on the brand.

6. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each into a ball, then use a rolling pin to flatten each out to a round bun, about 1cm thick. Brush the teacakes with the beaten egg. Transfer to the prepared baking trays, spacing them apart.

Put each tray inside a clean plastic bag and leave to rise for about an hour until the teacakes are at least doubled in size. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 200°C.

Bake the teacakes for 10-15 minutes until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.