Cranberry & Apricot Couronne (French Christmas Bread)
A Cranberry and Apricot Couronne Bread is a magnificent fusion of French tradition and festive indulgence. This extra-sweet creation takes the form of a crown-shaped bread, serving not only as a delightful centrepiece for your holiday table but also as a decadent alternative to the customary Christmas cake or pudding. Whilst technically bread, this yeasted cake is generously filled with marzipan, dried fruits, and an abundance of crunchy pecans, creating a mouthwatering dessert for your Christmas table!
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Dough:
- 250 g strong white flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 g fast-action dried yeast approx ½ packet
- 50 g unsalted butter softened
- 130 ml milk
- 1 egg medium
For The Filling:
- 90 g butter softened
- 40 g light brown sugar
- 100 g dried apricots roughly chopped
- 35 g flour
- 50 g cranberries roughly chopped
- 70 g pecans roughly chopped
- 1 orange zest only
- 200 g white marzipan
To Decorate:
- 100 g icing sugar
- 1.5 tablespoon milk
- extra nuts and fruit to decorate
Instructions
- Mix the flour and yeast in a bowl of your stand mixer. Add the salt, egg and milk. Run your mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment on low-medium speed until you have a rough dough.
- Little by little start adding the butter, and keep on kneading for approx 10 minutes, until the dough is very soft and elastic.
- Scoop the dough into a lightly greased large bowl. Cover with cling film and leave it to proof in a warm spot for 1.5-2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the filling by creaming the softened butter and brown sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the chopped apricots, flour, cranberries, pecans and orange zest.
- Once doubled, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Without knocking it back, roll it out into a 33 x 25 cm rectangle.
- Turn the dough so that you have a long edge facing you. Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the marzipan to a rectangle about 31 x 21 cm, and lay it over the apricot mixture. Roll up the dough tightly like a Swiss roll. cut it almost in half lengthways, leaving it just joined at one end – like a pair of legs. Twist the 2 dough lengths together, then join the ends to form a circular ‘crown’. Transfer to the baking tray.
- Cut the roll in half lengthways, leaving it just joined at one end. Then twist the 2 dough strips together, and shape it into a circle, pinching the two ends together. Carefully transfer to the prepared baking tray.
- Cover the couronne with a lightly oiled cling film, and leave it in a warm spot to proof again for 45-60 minutes, until almost doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 190° C Fan. Bake the couronne for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden. Place the baked bread on a wire rack.
- Place the baked bread on a wire rack. Mix the icing sugar with milk to make a thin icing. Drizzle it all over the loaf and decorate with extra pecans and dried fruit.
- Leave the couronne to cool down completely before enjoying it.
Nutrition
Calories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 8gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 197mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 3gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 805IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg
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