Stollen Away from Home!

I don't know if it is my German heritage, but nothing says Christmas more to me than a marzipan stollen. I love stollen. Every year I look forward to buying a stollen from Trader Joe's at Christmas. But a couple of years ago I suddenly thought, 'why not give it a go?' It turns out to be a pretty straight forward yeast bread, but like most things that you start making at home, you'll never buy a store bought one again!

As this is my first Christmas away from home, I knew I had to make a stollen here in England.

Chopping the dried fruit, as the bits stuck to my finger, I started to relax; kneading the soft yellow dough, it was as if I was the one getting a massage; brushing the risen loaves with melted butter, my gooey fingers felt anointed with merriment; and sifting powdered sugar on the cooled baked loaves, it was as if I was watching the snow fall from the sky. As I sat down to eat a slice, I felt completely embraced in peacefulness and Christmas spirit. It was the closest I could get to being home, and it felt pretty good.

I use the recipe in The Joy of Cooking as a base and add whatever dried fruit or nuts I have on hand, so feel free to mix it up. Irma calls for mixed peel and slivered almonds, but I opted out of these this time. You can use rum or brandy and I like to use lots of marzipan. May the peace and warmth of the season fill you as you make these loaves, wherever you are. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Stollen

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

yields 2-6 loaves (depending on size)

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. Dry Active Yeast

1 1/2 c. milk, scalded and cooled to 110F (lukewarm)

1 c. sultanas (golden raisins)

1 c. raisins

1 c. chopped dried apricots

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. butter

3 eggs

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. lemon/orange zest

2 Tbsp. rum or brandy

6-8 cups of all-purpose flour

Directions: (do not be put off by the length of the directions, I just like detail!)

Combine all the dried fruit in a bowl and soak in brandy or rum (you may use more than the amount listed if desired, I always do). Set aside to let soak. Meanwhile, combine the lukewarm milk with the yeast and let sit ten minutes or until the yeast has dissolved. You may need to stir the yeast to assist it dissolving. Add one cup of flour to the yeasty milk mixture, stir to combine, and let sit until doubled in size, anywhere from 10-30 minutes (make sure the mixture is in a bowl large enough to accommodate it doubling in size). Cream the butter and sugar together with a hand beater until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly in between each addition. Add the salt, zest, soaked fruit and its liquid, and a little almond or vanilla extract if so desired. Stir with a wooden spoon. Begin adding the flour, one cup at a time, until you get a soft, slightly sticky dough that comes together. Turn the dough out onto the counter with some flour and knead, for about ten minutes, or until you get a nice smooth dough, adding flour as needed if the dough gets too sticky to handle. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and let sit until doubled in size, about an hour. Portion the dough out into two to six portions, depending on how large you want your loaves.

Flatten each portion out into ovals, lay a strip of marzipan on one side, and fold one third of the dough over the marzipan and onto the other two-thirds. Do this to the remaining portions; place on a baking sheet, brush with melted butter, and let rise until doubled again, perhaps another 30-60 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Bake your loaves in a 350F oven until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes, depending on how large your loaves are. Once out of the oven, brush with melted butter, dust with powdered sugar, and let cool completely. Once completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar again and wrap in foil or wax paper to store.