What is Stollen?

Stollen is the name of German Christmas cake made in similar tradition as Italian Panettone and English Christmas pudding. It is bread like consistency made with dried fruit then topped with confectioners’ sugar. Some Stollen have a marzipan filling. Other popular fillings include poppy seeds (Mohn) or Marzipan.

Stollen is usually available in the holiday season in anticipation of Christmas. Most local supermarkets stock them in the beginning of October each year The First records Stollen as made for the Saxon Royal Court in 1427.¹ Since then this German Christmas treat has evolved making use of much wider variety of ingredients including citrus peels and cardamom.

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¹http://www.stollen-online.de/dresdnerstollen/geschichte-eng.htm.Accessed 02.11.2010.

Ingredients

500g ( 18 oz ) plain flour, sifted
6 level teaspoons of baking powder
150g ( 5 1/2 oz ) ground almonds

• 150g ( 5 1/2 oz ) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
• 2 eggs,
• 150g ( 5 1/2 ) caster sugar
• 250g ( 9 oz ) curd cheese
• 250g ( 9 oz ) raisins
• 110g ( 4 oz ) mixed chopped orange and lemon peel
• the grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• a few drops of almond extract
• a pinch of salt
• extra: unsalted butter, melted
• icing sugar

Poppy Seed Filling

• 225g ( 8 oz ) poppy seeds
• 150ml ( 5 fl oz ) milk
• 110g ( 4 oz ) caster sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. grind the poppy seeds fine, the color will change from blue to black

2. heat up the milk to boiling point

3. pour over poppies and leave to cool

4. add the egg yolk, sugar, rum and cinnamon and mix together

5. whisk the egg white and fold into the mixture

6. use as described above

Recipe From http://www.myhouseandgarden.com/recipes/Mohnstollen.htm  Acessed 02.11.2010.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2/3 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1/3 cup currants
• 1/3 cup sultana raisins
• 1/3 cup red candied cherries, quartered
• 2/3 cup diced candied citron
• 6 ounces marzipan
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the egg, white sugar, salt, butter, and 2 cups bread flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has begun to pull together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead in the currants, raisins, dried cherries, and citrus peel. Continue kneading until smooth, about 8 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Stollen is also popular at local Christmas markets to and can also be purchased online in good food or gourmet food stores.

A festival honouring the tradition of stollen making is held each year in the city of Dresden. Bakers form the country meet in Dresden to share in their stolen making skills. A large number or Dresden made stolen is also available internationally.

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