Stollen Crinkle Biscuits

Nothing evokes Christmas like the flavours of stollen, and we’ve put them into these eye-catching biscuits. Swap the brandy for apple juice, if you prefer.

Hands-on time 15min, plus soaking, chilling and cooling. Cooking time about 30min. Makes 20

● 50g mixed dried fruit

● 15g chopped mixed peel

● 15g dried sour cherries, roughly chopped

● 3tbsp brandy

● 75g unsalted butter

● 175g caster sugar

● 2 medium eggs

● 250g plain flour

● 1tsp baking powder

● 25g icing sugar, plus extra to dust

● 100g golden marzipan

1 In a medium bowl, mix the dried fruit, mixed peel, cherries and brandy. Set aside to soak for 1hr.

2 Melt butter in a small pan, then pour into a medium bowl and set aside to cool for 5min. Stir in caster sugar, followed by the eggs, one at a time.

3 Drain the soaked fruit and mix into the sugar mixture. Add the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt and stir. Cover and chill for 1hr.

4 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4 and line 3 baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the icing sugar into a small bowl. Divide both the marzipan and biscuit dough into 20 even pieces. If the dough is sticky, dust your hands with a little icing sugar as you work.

5 In the palm of your hand, flatten a portion of biscuit dough and place a piece of marzipan in the centre. Draw up the edges of the dough to encase the marzipan, then roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough and marzipan. Roll the balls in the icing sugar, then arrange, spaced apart, on the lined baking sheets. Dust any remaining icing sugar over the biscuits.

6 Bake for 20-25min, until lightly golden. Allow to cool on sheets for 5min before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

PER BISCUIT 158cals, 2g protein, 4g fat (2g saturates), 26g carbs (16g total sugars), 1g fibre

TO STORE Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days (they will soften on storing).

TO GIFT Pack into a lined tin or cellophane bags.