Cherry Roly Poly Recipes

STEAMED CRANBERRY ROLY-POLY

Steps:

• To make the filling, warm the cranberries and icing sugar together in a saucepan until the fruits begin to soften. Increase the heat, so the juices boil and become jammy. Pour the mixture into a bowl, then stir in the cranberry sauce or jelly. Leave to cool. Butter and lightly flour a large sheet of greaseproof (about 40 x 30cm), and sit it on a bigger sheet of foil. Put a steamer on to simmer.
• For the dough, mix together the flour, suet, caster sugar and orange zest with a wooden spoon. Stir in some milk until the mixture reaches the consistency of a soft pastry. Gather together into a ball, but don't overwork or it will toughen.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 22cm x 25cm. Spread with the cooled cranberry mix, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Moisten the border with cold water or milk before rolling into a cylinder. Start by tucking over the border of one of the short ends, then lift as you roll (see step 1, click photo above) so the jam doesn't get squeezed out. With the long join underneath, lay the roly-poly in the centre of the parchment paper. Fold over the long paper and foil edges to seal, leaving enough space above the pudding to allow it to rise. Squeeze the paper ends together tightly to seal them.
• Lay the parcel in the steamer over the simmering water, cover and steam for 1¼-1½ hrs, until firm to the touch. Rest for a min or two before unwrapping, slicing and serving. Vanilla custard is the perfect accompaniment and the roly-poly is best eaten as soon as it is made.

JAM ROLY-POLY

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until pieces are no larger than peas. Add milk; process until a soft dough forms. Place dough on plastic wrap, and pat into a rectangle; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Butter a 21-inch piece of parchment paper; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to slightly thicker than 1/8 inch. Cut into a 15-by-12-inch rectangle. Spread jam over dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle chocolate over jam if desired. Fold short sides of dough in by 1 inch. Roll lengthwise to form a cylinder, brushing off excess flour. Pinch ends and along length of cylinder to seal.
• Place seam side down in center of buttered side of parchment. Bring long sides of parchment together at top, and make a 1/2-inch fold. Fold over again, and seal. Tuck ends under. Repeat with foil, folding sides together and twisting ends.
• Place wrapped cylinder on rack in pan. Add enough boiling water to come about 1 1/2 inches up sides of pan (water should not reach pudding). Transfer to oven; bake 1 hour, adding boiling water occasionally to maintain level. Loosely tent with foil; bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pudding registers 180 degrees, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer pudding to a wire rack, and let cool 20 minutes. Remove foil and parchment, and slice. Serve warm, with creme anglaise if desired.

CHERRY ROLY POLY

Steps:

• To make dough: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk, a little at a time, and mix well. Knead briefly. Set aside.
• For filling: In a medium bowl, stir together cherries, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest until well mixed.
• On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. Brush with melted butter. Spread the cherry filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving 1/2 inch around the edges. Roll up the dough, starting at a short end, and pinch together all the edges so that the juice will not escape. Wrap roll in a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and tie loosely.
• Place in a steamer or colander over boiling water, cover and steam for 90 minutes, until dough is firm. Remove cloth, slice and serve.