Christmas Stollen - Daring Bakers' Challenge December 2010 + Family Christmas Celebration

When my parents-in-law decided to spend their Christmas with us in Sydney this year, I wanted to surprise them by baking a Christmas Stollen. When last month the Daring Bakers' Challenge for December was revealed to be Christmas Stollen, I knew I was destined to make it for Christmas.

Stollen is traditionally a German Christmas yeast bread to be eaten for breakfast on Christmas Day. The shape of the cake was originally meant to represent the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The Dutch have adopted it and called it Kerststol and it is baked fresh and sold in many bakeries across the country. This Dutch version of the stollen is often more cakey (less bread like) than the German one.

The Dutch have created an even more popular off-spring of the traditional stollen to be eaten during their favourite coffee time - Kerstkrans - almond paste wrapped in thick flaky pastry, O-shaped to resemble a Christmas wrath. However, many Dutch still love to have stollen / kerststol to start their Christmas day.

I have chosen to make a traditional German version. This is another great recipe that I have adapted from Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps cookbook. If you are as big a fan of this brilliant cookbook writer as myself, you may want to check out her new blog - EATspeak - on which she has started to document her travels and musings in Japan, where she is writing her next book (to be published in 2012).

The important fact you need to consider before making the stollen is that you should find a good quality Marzipan (almond paste). You can always make your own, but nothing beats a good imported one from Germany.

"Why is a good quality marzipan is critical to this recipe?", you may ask.

The answer to this lies in how stollen has to be eaten. Here are the steps:

1. Slice the stollen into slices.

   

2. Use a butter knife to remove the marzipan.

   

3. Spread the marzipan evenly across the surface of the slice and spread more butter on it.

We had a rather simple Christmas dinner. Not excessive, but with quality dishes. No seafood for us this Christmas as Mr J's parents do not eat any living thing from the Ocean. Here are some of the highlights:

Stollen for Breakfast

A morning trip to the beach

A few games of Cluedo with a few Bratwursts (German Sausages) on the BBQ in between.

Asparagus, Prosciutto, 65C Egg with Grated Parmesan

Fresh eggs from our chooks

Yasmin (left) & Emma (right)

Roast Boneless Murray Valley Pork Shoulder with Balinese Babi Guling Spices with Crackings basted in Turmeric infused Oil. (Will post recipe soon)

My MIL made her signature dish - a very retro Potato Salad with Granny Smith Apple, Spam (Yes, SPAM), Onion, Herbs, Worcestershire Sauce, Hard Boiled Eggs and Mayonnaise. (A childhood dish that Mr J craves for whenever he sees his beloved mother, whether in Australia or in Holland)

Mango, Lime & Mint Pavlova (Recipe HERE)

Hope you had a great Christmas and I will see you again in the New Year.

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book.........and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.

Marzipan Butter Stollen Recipe
(Adapted from Snowflakes and Schnapps by Jane Lawson)
Serves 10-12

Ingredients

85 g (3 oz / 2/3 cup) raisins
35 g (1 1/4 oz / 1/4 cup) currants
60 g (2 1/4 oz / 1/4 cup) glace cherries, chopped
40 g (1 1/2 oz / 1/4 cup) finely chopped candied lemon peel (I used mixed peel)
80 ml (2 1/2 fl oz / 1/3 cup) dark rum
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
30 g (1 oz) fresh yeast
115 g (4 oz / 1/2 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
185 ml (6 fl oz / 3/4 cup) warm full-cream (whole) milk
450 g (1 lb / 3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
120 g (4 1/4 oz) softened unsalted butter, melted, plus 40 g (1 1/2 oz), extra
200 g (7 oz) soft marzipan (almond paste
1 egg yolk
90 g (3 1/4 oz / 3/4 cup) icing (confectioners') sugar

Method

1. Combine the fruit, lemon peel and rum in a bowl. Toss to combine, then cover and set aside overnight, stirring occasionally. Drain off any excess rum before using. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and stir well.
2. Crumble the yeast into a small bowl, add 1/2 tsp of the caster sugar and 125 ml (4 fl oz / 1/2 cup) pf the warm milk. Mash together until smooth, then leave in a warm place for about 15 minutes, or until frothy. Soft the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the remaining sugar. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture. Add the egg, vanilla, remaining milk and melted butter, add mix until you have a soft, sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture comes together and is less sticky. Place in a bowl, cover, and set aside for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
   

   

3. Punch down the dough.
   

   

4. Turn out again onto the work surface and quickly knead in the fruit, in three batches, until it is well incorporated.
   

   

5. Return to the bowl, cover, and set aside for another 2 hours, or until risen.
   

   

6. Meanwhile, combine the marzipan with the egg yolk and 30 g (1 oz / 1/4 cup) of the icing sugar and mash to combine well.
   

   

7. Shape into a log about 3 cm (1 1/4 inch) wide and refrigerate.
   

   

8. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Shape the dough into a long oval and roll to make a 20 x 35 cm (8 x 14 inch) rectangle, about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick.
   

   

9. Make a deep dent along the dough's length, just off-centre, with a rolling pin.
   

   

10. Place the marzipan log in the dent.
    

    

11. Pull the widen size of the dough over to cover and push into a dough on the opposite side to help adhere. Roll the edge so the join in underneath. (As I was holding the camera and Mr J has read the instructions wrongly and folded slightly the wrong way). Place on a greased and floured baking tray and rest for about 10 minutes.
    

    

12. Brush with a little of the extra melted butter.
    

    

13. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160C (315F) and cook for a further 25 minutes, or until it is golden all over and sounds slightly hollow when tapped.
14. Remove from the oven, brush over the remaining melted butter until dissolved. Evenly and thickly sift over the remaining icing sugar.
    

    

15. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap overnight before cutting - this resting is important to achieve the correct texture. The stollen will keep well for about 1 week.