Panettone baked in tin cans makes them just the right size for a gift – if there are any left!

Makes 8

325g mixed dried fruit
1 orange, zested and juiced
500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp salt
100g caster sugar
14g easy bake yeast
200ml milk, plus 2 tbsp for brushing
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lemon, zested
200g very soft butter, plus 1 tsp, melted, and extra, melted, to grease 8 x empty 400g cans, washed and dried, paper labels removed

1 Place the dried mixed fruit and the orange zest in a bowl, then stir in 1 tablespoon of the juice. Leave to steep while you make the dough.

2 Sift the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Warm the milk gently in a small pan, then pour into a jug and beat in the eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest with a fork.

3 Gradually mix the milky mixture into the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon or the dough hook attachment of your mixer and beat gently, or on a low speed, for 10 mins to form a smooth and silky dough.

4 Next, beat in the butter, a small knob at a time, making sure it has been absorbed into the dough before adding the next piece. Tip in the orange-soaked fruit and work it into the dough. Cover and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hr, or until it has doubled in size.

5 Meanwhile, prepare the tin cans by brushing the inside with a little melted butter and lining the sides and base with baking paper, being sure to leave some paper sticking out the tin.

6 When your dough is ready, knock the excess air out of it with your wooden spoon or the dough hook attachment for about 1 min.

7 Tip out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into eight 8 evenly-sized pieces. It will be very soft so don’t bother trying to knead it. Drop a piece of dough into each of the cans, cover with a clean tea towel and leave somewhere warm for another hour or so, so that the dough can rise some more. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/ Gas 5.

8 When ready, put the cans onto a baking sheet and bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 mins, or until golden brown. Remove, leave to cool for a few minutes, then carefully slide them out of the cans. Remove the baking paper and brush the top of each panettone with a little melted butter, then leave to cool on a wire rack. Wrap them in cellophane or brown paper and label.

Cook’s note: These will last 3-4 days if stored somewhere cool.

These Tin Can Panettones are one of the ideas for a Christmas Hamper from our December issue. There are also instructions to make Orange Curd, Winter Berry Granola, DIY Mulled Wine, Furoshimi Wrapping and Chocolate, Orange and Walnut Bark. The recipes are by Louise Gorrod and the photograpny by Emma Croman.

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