(Cocoa spiced Christmas bread - our recipe)

Time: preparation: 40 minutes ........ plus resting time for the dough ........ cooking: 60 minutes 400 g (14 oz) white flour 50 g (1 3/4 oz) cocoa 500 ml (16 fl oz - 2C) honey 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons nutmeg 85 g (3 oz) peeled almonds, quartered 85 g (3 oz) candied orange 85 g (3 oz) peeled hazelnuts, halved Half a glass orange-flavoured liqueur 7,5 g (1/4 oz - 1 tablespoon) cake yeast Pinch of salt Unsalted butter   For garnishing   85 g (3 oz) marzipan Icing sugar Candied cherries Food colourings Medium difficulty

  Spoon measures are American spoons, that is standard cook's measuring spoons used in USA.
  The best plan is to regard 2 American teaspoons or tablespoons as 1 English teaspoon or tablespoon (eating spoons)

Pour honey into a little saucepan and add 50 ml (2 fl oz - 1/4 C) water; bring to the boil and then remove from the heat.
Meanwhile put all the other ingredients in a bowl: the sifted flour, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, almonds, hazelnuts and candied orange. Melt yeast in orange-flavoured liqueur and
add to other ingredients. Pour over boiling honey, stir accurately with a wooden spoon and
let the mixture rest for about an hour. Don't worry if the mixture is hard: it must be so.
Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Butter a deep cake tin, transfer the mixture and cook in the oven for about an hour. You can control cooking with a toothpick. Insert a toothpick in the cake; if you see no dough remainder on it, the cake is cooked.
Let the cake cool in the tin, remove from it and prepare decorations.
Knead marzipan with icing sugar, following the directions on the package and colour it.
You can make all the decorations you want. We made a branch with red berries made with candied cherries and coloured marzipan.

What's the right wine?
Our suggestion is: Moscato di Pantelleria (dessert wine from Sicily - Italy)

If you want to combine this dish with other ones for a complete menu,
consult our "Members-only Area".