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Christmas Soda Bread

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Christmas Soda Bread, Spelt flour, marzipan, stollen, panettone, mixed spice, orange zest, currants, dried cherries, dried fruit, vanilla, quick, easy, without buttermilk, milk and lemon juice

Today I’m sharing my Christmas Soda Bread!

December is such a busy time and what with my birthday, a wedding, my daughter’s numerous school performances, my son’s various exams and his trip to the Cologne Christmas markets,

I’m afraid my Christmas recipe offerings have had to stay as ideas in my head until now. (Note to self, start making Christmas recipes in the summer)!

So for my first offering, I wanted to come up with a recipe that had all the flavours of Christmas in it. To me, those flavours are marzipan, oranges, vanilla, mixed spice and dried fruits.

I love Stollen and Panettone but wanted to make something which busy people and kids could make really quickly as I think we are all very short of time in the build-up to Christmas!

Hence my Christmas Soda Bread was born and the best thing is all the ingredients are usually things you have in your cupboards at this time of year (except perhaps the dried cherries which you could substitute for dates or sultanas etc).

I used spelt flour which is not only high in fibre but also adds a lovely depth of flavour but you could use wheat flour if you wished.

This Christmas Soda Bread is ideal for using up all the leftover ingredients from your Christmas cake and puddings and lasts for days.

I started by making one double the size of this one but decided a smaller one was more practical.

Christmas Soda Bread, Spelt flour, marzipan, stollen, panettone, mixed spice, orange zest, currants, dried cherries, dried fruit, vanilla, quick, easy, without buttermilk, milk and lemon juice

My husband isn’t usually a fan of dried fruit but once he got a taste of my Christmas Soda Bread he became hooked!

He said and I quote “It tastes a lot better than it looks”! Well, my first attempt didn’t get in the oven quickly enough as I got the proportions of flour wrong and had to add a lot more at the last minute!

It’s so important with soda bread to get it straight in the oven and not hang about so hence my first attempt was delicious but had a completely lopsided rise to it!

This gorgeous loaf with sugary crust and all the wonderful Christmas flavours, will make your kitchen smell so festive!

Spread generously with butter (and some strawberry jam if you like) for a truly awesome treat.

My teenage son also loved my Christmas Soda Bread but my daughter as ever won’t indulge in dried fruit. (Although she did try a sample of Panettone when we were out the other day so perhaps there’s hope on that front)!

I’m sure you’ll love my Christmas Soda Bread, just sit down and enjoy it with a nice cup of tea in amongst the hurly burly of the Christmas rushing around that we all do!

Don’t forget to tag @FabFood4All on social media as I love seeing your creations and leave a comment below!

Christmas Soda Bread, Spelt flour, marzipan, stollen, panettone, mixed spice, orange zest, currants, dried cherries, dried fruit, vanilla, quick, easy, without buttermilk, milk and lemon juice

More Festive Bakes

Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.

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Christmas Soda Bread - sliced and ready for buttering!
Christmas Soda Bread sliced on a tea towel.
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Christmas Soda Bread

All the flavours of Christmas in one loaf (marzipan, vanilla, orange, mixed spice and dried fruit) – Christmas Soda Bread is quick and easy to make and so delicious spread with butter and even jam if you wish!
Course Snack
Cuisine British
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8
Author Camilla Hawkins

Ingredients

  • 180 ml Milk
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 175 g Plain spelt flour
  • 175 g Wholegrain spelt flour
  • 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • ¾ tsp Mixed spice
  • 100 g Caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar
  • 35 g Marzipan grated
  • Grated zest of 1 orange or 2 clementines wash well with detergent first
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 40 g Currants
  • 40 g Dried cherries chopped
  • Demerara sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 190⁰C.
  • Prepare a baking tray a sheet or baking parchment and a scattering of flour.
  • Stir the lemon juice into the milk and set aside to curdle.
  • Sieve the flours, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and mixed spice into a large bowl.
  • Then mix in the caster sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, marzipan, orange zest and dried fruit thoroughly.
  • Add the curdled milk and mix in with a round bladed knife until a dough if formed (use your hands towards the end).
  • Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape into a dome (speed is important as the raising agents start working as soon as you add the milk).
  • Place the dome onto the baking sheet, sprinkle on a good layer of Demerara sugar (patting down) and using a sharp knife cut a deep cross down into the dough.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until a hollow sound is heard when you knock on the underside of the loaf.
  • Place on a wire rack to cook.
  • Serve warm or cold with butter (and jam if liked) with a nice cuppa!

Notes

Unless you have unwaxed oranges or clementines you must wash the wax off your citrus fruit as this is not meant for human consumption. I use a drop of washing up liquid, rub in well with a drop of warm water and then give it a scrub with my potato brush. I think I got this tip from Michael van Stratton on a radio show (LBC) many years ago!

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Comments

  11. kellie@foodtoglow

    What a delightful and wholesome recipe for this gluttonous time of year (but nothing wrong with a bit of gluttony!). I am having a little fantasy here of making this and having it with a smear of cold Philly! Mmm! PS I clean my fruits with a little vinegar water ;-0

    Reply

    • Camilla

      Thanks Kellie, we still have a loaf in the freezer to enjoy over Christmas:-) I’ll let you have your Philly fantasy while I stick with butter and perhaps a smear of strawberry jam:-) I’ll try your vinegar water tip – do you put it on some paper towel then?

      Reply

  12. Stephanie Whitehouse

    This does sound festive. I make quite a lot of soda bread, using the liquid I strain out of home made yoghurt, so I’ll have a go with these additions

    Reply

  13. Sarah (@tamingtwins)

    Camilla this sounds utterly delicious, all of my favourite Christmas flavours but without the fuss of proving etc. The photos are beautiful too, lovely styling and light. Thanks so much for linking to #festivefoodfriday.

    Reply

  15. Emily

    My mum is sitting with me at the mo and we’ve agreed to make this together tomorrow! Looks really, really lovely. Great pics too x

    Reply

    • Camilla

      Thanks Laura:-) I remember in Home Ec we were taught it was called mineral oil but it doesn’t seem to be called that these days but whatever it’s known as now it’s to be avoided! Glad I’m not the only one using Fairy on my citrus fruits;-)

      Reply

  20. Jacqui Gourlay

    That looks so good! I have a new love for marzipan after last Christmas so looking for new ideas. I hope to find the time to try this!

    Reply

    • Camilla

      Thank you:-) I’ve had a life long love of marzipan so don’t need much of an excuse to use it:-) I do hope you get a chance to make this.

      Reply

  22. Mel

    That looks like a nice, easy, festive recipe! I am not a fan of dried fruit, but I guess I could take them off.

    Reply

  24. Jeanne Horak-Druiff

    Oh – I do love a good soda bread (I never have the patience for yeast breads!!) and I love the idea of fruit in this one. I can imagine even after a day or two it woudl still be splendid toasted with some salted butter 🙂

    Reply

    • Camilla

      Thanks Jeanne:-) I really must toast the rest of it, am still eating loaf 1 (it was enormous) and it’s still fine just buttered:-)

      Reply

  26. Elizabeth

    Mmm… I could seriously go a big slice of this right now, slathered with butter! What a super idea! Thank you for sharing with the No Waste Food Challenge 🙂

    Reply

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