Roscon de Reyes

One of the things I believe I will miss most about Spain is the Roscon de Reyes – a rich sweetbread served on the night before or morning of the last day of christmas – the day of the kings.

It has now become traditional to fill these wonderful christmassy treats with sweet cream, custard or “trufa”. All of which are delicious when served with traditional hot chocolate. My personal favourite is a slightly crusty version filled with crema de trufa – a chocolatey cream that can add inches with a single glance.

It occured to me most recently that soon I will need to learn to make my own if I am to continue this now beloved tradition.

Ingredients:

* 4 cups flour
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 oz yeast
* 2/3 cup mixed lukewarm milk and water (of equal parts)
* 6 Tbsp butter
* 6 Tbsp sugar
* grated rind of 1 lemon
* grated rind of 1 orange
* 2 eggs
* 1 Tbsp brandy
* 1 Tbsp water
* 1 egg white, lightly beaten
* candied fruit pieces, cherries, oranges, etc.

Method:

Serves eight to ten people (and much less if they are greedy)

Sieve the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Make a hole in the center.

In a small mixing bowl, stir and dissolve the dry yeast in the lukewarm milk-water mixture. Once it has thoroughly dissolved, pour the dissolved yeast into the center of the flour. Stir in just enough flour from around the bowl to make a thick batter (about the thickness of double cream).

With your hand, take about a teaspoon of the flour from the side of bowl and sprinkle it over the top of batter. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and leave in a warm draft free place. Leave batter about 15-20 minutes or until it becomes “spongey”

In a medium-size mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk together the butter and sugar. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Set to one side.

Add the grated orange and lemon rinds, eggs, brandy and water to the bowl with flour misture. Mix well. The dough will be sticky in consistency.

Beat the flour mixture until it is elastic and smooth. Add butter-sugar mixture and mix until the dough is smooth. Dough should be formed into a ball, then covered with oiled plastic wrap. Re-cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and leave it again in a warm place and allow to rise until it has roughly doubled in size. Usually takes about two hours.

Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil and set aside for use later.

Once dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and punch dough down. Lightly flour a clean space of your counter / cutting board and place dough on it. Knead for a couple of minutes. Then, using a rolling pin, roll dough into a long rectangle, about 2 feet long and 5-6 inches wide.

Roll the dough on the long side into a long sausage shape and carefully place the dough onto the large baking sheet, connect the ends together, thus forming a ring. If you wish to be really traditional hide a bean or a small foil-wrapped, ceramic figurine under the dough. Cover with oiled plastic wrap again. Leave in a warm place and allow to double in size. This will take about an hour.

Heat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly beat an egg white in a small bowl. Uncover the dough and brush the top of the cake. Decorate the ring with the candied fruit pieces, and spinkle with sugar. Gently push them into the dough slightly so they do not seperate during cooking. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden.

Once done allow to cool on a rack.

If you do wish to fill with nata (cream), trufa (chocolate cream), natilla (custard) or cabello de angel (angel hair) this is the time to do it. Slice in half and fill the middle like a sandwich.

Serve with copious amounts of thick hot chocolate.