Individual Festive Panettones

Grease and line four Le Creuset 10cm Mini Cocottes with a double-layer baking paper collar.

Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla seeds, and orange zest. Warm the milk (do not boil or scald otherwise it will be too hot and kill the yeast). Add 1 Tablespoon of sugar and the yeast and set aside to activate. Heat the brandy in a small saucepan and add the cranberries and vanilla pod. Set aside to macerate and absorb all the flavour.

Once the butter and sugar are pale and fluffy, add the flour, a pinch of salt, and the yeast mixture. Knead the dough until it comes together and is soft and stretchable. This is best done in an electric mixer with a bread dough hook attachment. Place the dough, covered, in a warm place and prove until doubled in size. Add the macerated cranberries and brandy, the chopped chocolate, and the candied peel. Using the dough hook again, knead until the fruit and chocolate are well combined. Portion the dough into roughly 290g balls. Place the weighed dough into the lined mini cocottes and lightly cover with cling film. Place in a warm spot and prove for a further 50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Once the dough is doubled in size, make the topping by mixing all the ingredients together. Gently brush the topping on each panettone. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Best served warm with a dusting of icing sugar or used the next day toasted in a pan with butter.