German
stollen
Featured in: "The Blessed Season"
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, lemon peel, salt and 3 cups flour. Add the raisins, candied fruit and almonds. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 ½ hours.
Punch dough down and divide in half; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll or press each half into a 12-by-7-inch oval. Fold a long side over to within 1 inch of opposite side; press edge lightly to seal. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Combine confectioners’ sugar and enough milk to achieve desired consistency; spread over stollen. Yield: 2 loaves.
Stollen
1 package (¼ ounce) active dry yeast
2 T. warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 c. warm milk (110 to 115 degrees)
¾ c. butter, softened
½ c. granulated sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ t. grated lemon peel
½ t. salt
4 ¾ to 5 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. raisins
½ c. mixed candied fruit
½ c. chopped almonds
This seasonal bread, which originated in Germany centuries ago, gives a nod to traditional fruitcakes but takes the idea in a lighter direction. Instead of a heavy batter, the dried fruit and nuts are mixed into a yeast dough that bakes up airy and soft. Of course, a cover of icing makes everything a little sweeter.
There are many variations on this holiday treat, including some with a rope of marzipan down the middle and/or a dollop of rum in the batter, but this is a good starter recipe. Don’t care for candied fruit? Dump in whatever else you’d like, such as chopped apples or maraschino cherries.
Glaze:
1 ½ c. confectioners’ sugar
2 to 3 T. milk