Ingredients
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3 cups plain flouror all purpose flour
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2 tbsp dried yeastaround 14g dried yeast
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1/2 cup Sugar
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75 g Buttersoftened
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2 Eggs
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1 eggwhisked – for basting
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Pinch Salt
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1 lemon lemon zest
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100 ml warm milk
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100 ml Port Wineor brandy or sweet sherry
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80 g candied fruitsor dried fruit chopped for filling, sultanas okay
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50 g Mixed Nutsunsalted and chopped (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts)
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Garnish:
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50 g dried fruit slices
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30 g Mixed Nutsunsalted and halved (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts)
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Sprinkle icing sugaror powdered sugar
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1 tsp strawberry jam
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2 tsp hot water
Directions
A lightly spiced, fluffy Christmas cake filled with fruit and nuts. A speciality in Portugal, Bolo Rei or Portuguese Kings Cake, is super easy to bake at home, so get ready to make your Kings Cake “crown” this holiday season!
How to Make Bolo Rei:
- Place the chopped candied fruit and raisins in a bowl with the port to infuse.
- Mix the yeast with warm milk and let rest in a warm place for 5-10 minutes until slightly frothy on top.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest, butter, whole eggs, and salt.
- Then pour in the yeast mixture and knead together.
- Once mixed, add in the port and fruit mixture and the chopped nuts.
- Knead together until well combined.
- Mold the dough into a round shape in the bowl, scraping down the edges, and slightly sprinkle with flour before covering with plastic wrap and a cloth.
- Allow to rise to double the size. This should take around 1.5 hours, depending on the climate.
- Line a baking tray with paper and a light sprinkling of flour.
- Place the dough onto the tray, forming a ring or “crown”, without handling the dough too much.
- Place a cup or dish in the centre to keep the ring from closing up.
- Allow to rise for another 30min – 1 hour.
- Pre-heat oven to 180°c.
- Baste th dough with the egg yolk mixture and garnish with the remaining nuts, dried fruit slices, and icing sugar.
- Pop in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, and you’re done!
