Stollen, wow!

[smallblueplanet]

FESTIVE STOLLEN

MAKES 1 large loaf or 2 medium loaves
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes plus rising

TIME: 30 minutes
TOOLS Dough Hook

75g (3oz) sultanas
75g (3oz) currants
50g (2oz) orange & lemon chopped candied peel
60ml (4 tbsp) dark rum
400g (14oz) unbleached white bread flour
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
50g (2oz) caster sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) ground cinnamon
7g sachet (1½ tsp) fast action dried yeast
1 egg, lightly beaten
140ml (5fl oz) lukewarm milk
50g (2oz) butter, melted
50g (2oz) whole blanched almonds, chopped
50g (2oz) glacé cherries
225g (8oz) almond paste - home-made, recipe below (or bought marzipan)
melted butter, for brushing
icing sugar, for dusting

1 Place the sultanas, currants and chopped peel in a bowl. Stir in the rum and set aside to soak. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2 Sift the flour and salt into the Kenwood Bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon and yeast and stir to mix. Add the egg, milk and butter and using the Dough Hook mix to a soft dough. Knead for 4 minutes, on speed 1, until smooth and elastic.

3 Remove the Kenwood Bowl complete with dough, cover with lightly oiled clear film and leave in a warm place to rise for 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.

4 Using the Dough Hook, knock back and briefly knead the dough on speed 1 for 45-60 seconds. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 2.5cm (1 inch) thick rectangle. Sprinkle over the soaked fruits, almonds and glacé cherries. Fold and knead to incorporate the fruit and nuts.

5 Roll into a 23 x 30cm (9 x 12 inch) oval. Roll the centre slightly thinner than the edges. Roll the almond paste (or marzipan) into a 20cm (8 inch) sausage shape and place along the centre of the dough. Fold the dough over to enclose it, making sure the top edge is set back slightly from the base edge. Press down to seal.

6 Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover with oiled clear film and leave to rise in warm place for 45-60 minutes, or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas5.

7 Bake for 30 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when the base is sharply tapped. Brush the top with melted butter, dust with icing sugar and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Either wrap loaf in foil, or put in a air-tight box and leave for a week or so, then dust again with icing sugar before eating.


ALMOND PASTE

MAKES 450G (1LB)
PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES
TOOLS K BEATER

225g (8oz) ground almonds
115g (4oz) icing sugar
115g (4oz) caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
5ml (1 tsp) lemon juice
1-2 drops of vanilla or almond

1 Place all the ingredients in the Kenwood Bowl. Using the K Beater on minimum speed, mix together until the ingredients bind together to form a paste.

2 Transfer to a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and knead into a ball. Cover until ready to use.

Cook’s Note If you wish to avoid using raw egg to bind the ingredients together, replace with water.

We don't like glace cherries so replaced them with candied peel - our own homemade stuff using the recipe I posted on here early.

What do you think? It looks great, its just come out the oven. I tasted a bit of the almond paste, warm, yummy! Can't wait to try it....

By smallblueplanet

[ailsasyl]

i love stollen and the shop bought ones vary so much yours looks great may have to try this out wont get the chance till between Xmas and new year though visitors arrive weds till 24th and i is working xmas day and boxing day.

[Seahorse]

Looks fab! I might have a go

[Two_Sheds]

Thanks for this, Mr S loves stollen.

btw. the egg in the marzipan/almond paste won't be raw, will it? It gets baked for 30 mins?

[smallblueplanet]

2sheds, the almond paste can be used for decorating cakes and such-like (I left those details off) and that is why the recipe mentions that.

To Cover a Cake with Almond Paste:


QUANTITIES GUIDE FOR ALMOND
PASTE
15cm (6 inch) round or
12cm (5 inch) square cake
350g (12oz) almond paste
18cm (7 inch) round or
15cm (6 inch) square cake
450g (1lb) almond paste
20cm (8 inch) round or
18cm (7 inch) square cake
550g (1¼lb) almond paste
25cm (10 inch) round or
23cm (9 inch) square cake
900g (2lb) almond paste
30cm (12 inch) round or
28cm (11 inch) square cake
1.1kg (2½lb) almond paste

1 First make an apricot glaze. Melt 115g (4oz) apricot jam
with 30ml (2 tbsp) water and bring to the boil, stirring. Sieve
and use warm.
2 Trim the top of the cake level, if necessary. Turn upside
down so the flat bottom becomes the top.
3 Measure around the cake with a piece of string to give the
length of almond paste required. Cut another piece of string
to the same height of the cake.
4 On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar roll out just
under two-thirds of the almond paste, long enough to coat
the sides of the cake, using the string as a guide. Trim the
paste and roll up loosely.
5 Brush the sides of the cake with apricot glaze and unroll
the almond paste around the cake. Smooth the join, using a
palette knife. Roll a straight-sided jam jar around the sides
to adhere the almond paste to the cake.
6 Roll out the remaining almond paste to fit the top of the
cake. Brush the cake with apricot glaze and lift the paste
onto the cake with the help of the rolling pin. Lightly roll the
top, then leave to dry for 1-2 days before icing.

[maytreefrannie]

I tasted Stollen some years back at a friend's house - gorgeous.

Thanks, SBP.

[cupcake]

Aldi's isn't half bad!

[Seahorse]

Made two already and both have been very well recieved!

Just need to make one for myself now

[Woofster]

I have just made the Stollen wreath on the cover of December BBC Good food magazine. It was surprisingly easy, looks good and tastes yummy. Also a very good size - feed a lot of people. Recommend it.

[smallblueplanet]

Hi tiachica, not made this years stollen yet but I'll be using this recipe again - 3rd year running.

[Flummery]

Might have a go. We don't bother with a Christmas Cake - it gets eaten well into New Year if I do. I think a Stollen might go down a treat. Made one years ago but you've tickled me taste buds!

[Two_Sheds]

Thanks for this, Mr S loves stollen

I never did make one, but intend to this year. I'm going for this easy recipe:

500g strong white (bread) flour
40g sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp dried yeast
200ml warm milk
3 whole eggs, beaten
130g unsalted butter + 15g for later
200g chopped blanched almonds
150g sultanas (soaked in brandy if liked)
125g chopped peel (optional: I hate it)
250g marzipan
2 tbsp icing sugar

Sieve flour, sugar & salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl beat the eggs (put 2 tbsp aside for use later).

Blend yeast with milk & stir into flour. Add eggs & softened butter. Knead by hand or in breadmaker, dough setting, adding nuts & fruit gradually.

Allow dough to prove, wrapped in clingfilm, for up to 3 hrs.

Press dough to a rectangle about 30cm x 20cm.

Roll marzipan into a 25cm long sausage & place on dough. Roll dough over the marzipan & seal ends inwards, using remaining egg as glue. Ensure the fold/pleat is underneath the dough. Place on a baking sheet, brush with egg.

Prove again in clingfilm for a further 2 hrs.

Bake 30-40 mins at 200c until golden brown

Immediately brush with remaining butter. When cool, dust with icing sugar

edit: I've just made this, and it didn't appreciably rise at all. I hope it's OK

[rustylady]

I love the idea of making my own Stollen -might give it a go if I can get motivated.

[trish60]

Tasted some warm home made stollen a few years ago & it was amazing so I bought the ingredients which cost a fortune & it was disastrous.
I now buy the stollen bites from Lidl's which are delicious & suit us as we don't eat loads of sweet stuff but I might be tempted by the recipe when all the family come round.

[smallblueplanet]

The stollen recipe I posted wasn't difficult - just follow the steps.