Christmas Stollen

Prep Time: 4 Hours
Yields: 4 Stollen

Comment:
This classic German Christmas treat is truly a labor of love, but will create memories to last until next Christmas. Wrapped well, the completed stollen can be stored in the refrigerator two weeks or in the freezer for six months, and then re-warmed slightly for serving.

Ingredients for Stollen:
2 ounces glace cherries, red or green
4 ounces candied orange peel
4 ounces dried currants
4 ounces candied citron
4 ounces toasted pecans
6 tbsps Courvoisier
3 packages of instant yeast
3 cups milk
2¾ cups bread flour
1½ tsps salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
1½ tsps cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
2 eggs
1½ tsps molasses
2½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

Method:
In a medium saucepan, warm Courvoisier over low heat. Add dried fruit and gently toss in warm alcohol. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. In a small saucepan, warm milk to temperature recommended on yeast packet. Add yeast, dissolve and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and allspice. Toss together then make a well in center and add the eggs, yeast/milk mixture and molasses. Toss together. Add softened butter and mix well. In a stand mixer with dough hook, mix until smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes on medium/slow speed. Dough will be soft. Cover with plastic wrap and rest in a draft-free area one hour or until doubled in size. Add macerated fruit and combine well. Allow to rest another hour until doubled in size again. Turn onto lightly floured surface and divide into four blocks. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside while you make filling.

Ingredients for Filling:
4 ounces almond paste
½ cup sugar
1 stick butter, softened and divided
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

Method:
In an electric mixer with paddle combine almond paste, sugar, and ½ stick butter. Cream until smooth. Add remaining butter and mix in until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well and scraping bowl in between. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix in well. Add flour and continue mixing until filling is a little thicker than a normal cake mix and very smooth. Take one block of stollen dough and press out on a lightly floured surface to create an oval “loaf” about 8” long and 4” wide. Repeat with each block.  Divide filling mix equally between the four, piping an inch diameter cylinder lengthways down the center of each. Folding lengthwise, bring the top side of the oval toward you, enclosing the cylinder of filling. Repeat with each block.  Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, two to a sheet (they will expand). Cover lightly and place in an 80º to 90º degree area (gas oven with only pilot light on or a barely warmed oven). Let rest for an hour or two to rise. To test, poke finger in dough–if it springs back it is not ready yet. Stollen is ready for baking when finger imprint remains. Preheat oven to 350º F.  Bake for about 40 minutes, or until center registers 190º on a meat thermometer. If browning too rapidly, turn oven down slightly. While baking, create topping.

Ingredients for Topping:
½ pound butter
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsps pure vanilla.

Method:
Melt butter and set aside. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Mix together with hands until vanilla is dispersed throughout mixture. When stollen come out of the oven, brush with hot melted butter. Allow to sit until cool enough to handle, then spread sugar mixture all over loaf until completely coated white.  Cool completely then wrap and refrigerate or freeze.