Jeweled Fruit Wreath Recipes

JEWELED FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Line four greased and floured 5-3/4x3x2-in. loaf pans with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside., In a large bowl, combine dates, nuts, cherries and coconut. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir into fruit mixture until well coated., In a small bowl, beat eggs and vanilla until foamy. Fold into fruit mixture and mix well. Pour into prepared pans., Bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool, dry place. Cut with a serrated knife.

HOLIDAY BERRY MERINGUE WREATH

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 225 degrees F. Line the back of a baking sheet with parchment. Use a 12-inch bowl as a stencil: Flip it upside down and trace a 12-inch circle onto the parchment. Use a 9-inch bowl to trace a circle inside the 12- inch one. This is the outline of your wreath.
• For the wreath: Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 minute more. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until stiff, shiny peaks form, 13 to 15 minutes.
• Build the wreath: Using the template on the parchment as your guide, drop dollops of meringue in a line along the inside of the 12-inch circle. Use a rubber spatula to help clean off your spoon between dollops. Following the 9-inch circle and slightly overlapping the outer ring of meringue, make an inner ring of meringue dollops to fill in the rest of the template. Flatten the meringue slightly with the back of the spoon, making sure to keep a lot of peaks. Bake the meringue until it is dry, crisp, and pearly white on the outside, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the cranberry sauce: Bring the cranberries, sugar and lemon juice to a simmer in medium saucepan and cook until the cranberries are soft and just begin to burst and the sugar is completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. Gently fold in the raspberries and pomegranate seeds. Whip the heavy cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Before serving, spread the whipped cream on the meringue. Spoon over the cranberry sauce and sprinkle with mint leaves.

JEWELED FRUIT DIP

Steps:

• Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, orange peel and orange juice in small bowl; set aside.
• Mix remaining ingredients in large bowl. Serve with yogurt mixture.

JEWELLED SQUASH, CHESTNUT & MUSHROOM WREATH

Steps:

• First, make the topping. Combine the dried fruit and orange juice in a pan, and heat gently over a low heat for 5-10 mins until all the juice has been absorbed and the fruit is plump. Set aside and leave to cool.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the squash with 1 tbsp oil in a roasting tin. Season and roast for 25-30 mins until soft, stirring after 20 mins to prevent the squash from burning.
• Meanwhile, oil a 24cm bundt or savarin tin. Line the base with baking parchment - this is easier if you cut out smaller rectangular pieces of parchment and overlap them in the base. Heat another 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a low heat and cook the onions until tender, about 8 mins. Add the mushrooms, season and cook for another 5-8 mins, or until the mushrooms are soft and any liquid they've released has evaporated. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Mix the flaxseed with 8 tbsp hot water, and leave until the mixture is gel-like.
• Rub a little oil over the whole sage leaves and arrange in the base of the tin. Press the fruit topping over the leaves so the base is fully covered.
• Combine the roasted squash, cooled onion and mushroom mixture, flaxseed, nutmeg, breadcrumbs, chopped sage leaves, rosemary, lentils and chestnuts. Season well, then pack into the tin over the fruit. Cover with foil. The unbaked wreath will keep, covered in the fridge, for two days.
• With the oven still at 200C/180C fan/gas 6, bake the wreath for 45 mins, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 mins. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then run a cutlery knife around the inner and outer edge to loosen it. Place a plate over the tin, invert, then lift off the tin. Remove the baking parchment and serve.

BRAIDED FRUIT WREATH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Add milk, butter, sugar, lemon rind, eggs, salt, mace, and 2 cups flour. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
• Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
• Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide in half. Using a rolling pin, roll half of the dough into a 22 by 9-inch rectangle. Cover and let rest 5 minutes on the work surface.
• Cut the dough into three 22-inch long strips.
• Mix the nuts and candied fruit. Fill the center of each strip with 1/2 cup of the nut and fruit mixture. Bring edges together and pinch to seal forming three 22-inch-long strands.
• Lay the strands side-by-side on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Turn the baking sheet so the strands are facing lengthwise away from you. Starting in the center of the strands, place the right strand over the middle strand (the right strand has now become the middle strand), then the left strand over the middle, the right over the middle, left over the middle, etc. Continue this process until the strands are too short to braid. Do not pinch the end together.
• To braid the other end of the loaf, turn the baking sheet around so that the unbraided portion is facing you. Place the middle strand over the right strand, then middle strand over the left, middle over the right, middle over the left, etc., until the ends are too short to braid. Join the ends of the braid to form a wreath, and pinch to seal. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
• About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 190 degrees.
• Immediately remove bread from baking sheet and cool on a rack for 20 minutes.
• Combine powdered sugar and cream. Mixture should be the consistency of honey (if it isn't, adjust by adding more cream to thin it or powdered sugar to thicken it). Drizzle over the top of each wreath.

JEWELED FRUIT WREATH

Steps:

• Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl until blended; stir in COOL WHIP.
• Combine next 5 ingredients; spoon onto center of large plate.
• Spoon COOL WHIP mixture around fruit to resemble a wreath. Top with pomegranate seeds. Garnish with mint.

JEWELED FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300°F. Line loaf pan, 9x5x3 or 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, with aluminum foil; grease foil. Mix all the ingredients except corn syurp. Spread in pan.
• Bake about 1 hour 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If necessary, cover with aluminum foil for last 30 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.
• Remove fruitcake from pan (with foil) to wire rack. For a glossy top, immediately brush with corn syrup. Cool completely before cutting, about 24 hours. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator no longer than 2 months.