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Christmas is coming and although 2020 will no doubt have some differences, one thing remains the same: the desire to spend time in family, keeping all the traditions that make this festive period so special. Spanish children anxiously await the 6th of January, and Christmas Day marks the moment when the traditional Roscón de Reyes begins to make an appearance, with families making and enjoying a cake that is a delight to old and young alike.
The tradition of eating Roscón de Reyes on the 6th of January dates back to 17th Century France and it was introduced to Spain during the reign of Felipe V. During that period, broad beans and gold coins were baked into the cake as a sign of abundance. Nowadays, the gold coin has been replaced by a small ceramic figurine related to Christmas, although the broad bean is still always found within a Roscón de Reyes.
The Roscón de Reyes has a circular or oval shape and is usually filled with cream, crème pâtissière or truffle cream, although it is often made without a filling or served with whipped cream on the side for individual portions. Roscón de Reyes can be bought in several sizes, thus suiting families that wish to share the cake with 2, 4, 8 or 12 others.
The most important design feature of this cake is the candied fruit that covers it with bright red, green and orange colours. The most commonly used strips of candied fruit used as decoration for this cake are made from melon, pumpkin, orange, cherry, or watermelon. These fruits are dyed to a bright colour.
How to make Roscón de Reyes with candied fruit
Professionals chefs and bakers have everything ready to begin making Roscón de Reyes for the forthcoming festive season. The following steps are taken in order to make this cake, although many pastry chefs make changes or alter the steps in order to add a different touch or show innovation.
Ingredients
- Eggs
- Hard wheat flour
- Butter
- Milk
- Fresh yeast
- Sugar
- Salt
- Orange flower water
- Candied fruit
Step 1. Knead the Roscón
Add eggs, flour, milk, salt, orange flower water, sugar, soft butter and yeast to an electric mixer and allow the machine to do the job. It should take roughly 15 minutes to reach a compact and even dough.
Step 2: Shaping the dough
The compact dough is placed on a flat surface that has been dusted with flour. It is manually kneaded until it no longer sticks to the surface. It is the cut into small portions and given an oval shape, which is traditional for a Roscón. Once the dough has been shaped, it is left to relax for 30 minutes and the oven is pre-heated at 220ºC.
Step 3: glazing the Roscón
Once the cakes have been left to relax, they are glazed with beaten egg. This is done using a special pastry brush that daubs the top of the cake with several layers of egg.
Step 4: Placing the candied fruit on the cake
The candied fruit is placed on the cake after glazing. The strips of fruit are placed symmetrically across the surface of the Roscón. This is done using strips of melon, orange, citrus peel, watermelon or pumpkin.
Step 5: Baking the Roscón.
Once the oven has been heated and the cake has been decorated, it is time to bake it. The oven temperature is lowered to 170ºC and the cake is baked for 20 minutes until browned.
Step 6: Adding filling to the Roscón
After taking the Roscón from the oven, the next step is to give it a filling. The cake is divided in half and filled with cream, truffle or whatever other ingredient that is desired. The ceramic figure and broad bean are also added to the cake at this stage.
Stage 7: Packaging the product
The Roscón de Reyes is sold in cardboard boxes with a transparent plastic surface so that the cake is on display.
Christmas candied fruits for use in a Roscón de Reyes
Having the best ingredients from a market leading brand like Lazaya is vital when making a Roscón de Reyes. They have been offering professional chefs a wide range of preserved fruits such as glacé cherries, cubed fruit, crystalized fruit peel, chopped fruit and delicious Christmas candied fruit since 1940. Christmas candied fruit is the most popular ingredient for Roscón de Reyes, although it is also used in Panettone and other classic desserts.
Lazaya’s Christmas candied fruit contains top quality cherries, pumpkin, orange and orange peel, sold in plastic or cardboard containers.It is our strips of candied fruit that experts choose when they want guaranteed success for their creations. Do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to find out more about our products.
