Christmas Calender 2017 - Stollen

Stollen is one of my favourite Christmas cakes, which I like to bake during Christmas time, and I have been sharing various Stollen recipes with you during previous Christmas Calendars: German Christmas cake -Stollen, Christstollen, Stollen with marzipan and cranberries & Stollen with fromage frais.

This recipe is from the Christmas Afternoon Tea Course.

Stollen: - 4 pieces

• Dough:
• 500 g strong wheat flour
• 10 g fresh yeast
• 25 g sugar
• 250 ml milk
• 100 g butter - melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs (110 g egg)
• Filling:
• 90 g sultanas
• 50 g glacé cheeries
• 100 mixed peels - roughly chopped
• 40 g roasted almond flakes
• 2 tablespoons rum
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 125 g marzipan - cut into small pieces
• Creme d´amande:
• 75 g butter - at room temperature
• 75 g sugar
• 75 ground almonds
• 20 g wheat flour
• 1 medium egg - beaten
• 4 tablespoon dark rum or brandy
• Glaze:
• 50 g butter
• 1 tablespoon rum
• icing sugar for dusting

1. Add the wheat flour in a mixing bowl and crumble the fresh yeast into the dough. Afterwards add in the sugar.
2. Add in the liquid part in form of milk, melted butter and eggs, using a spoon to combine.
3. When the dough comes together, knead the dough together by hand for 10 minutes.
4. Put the dough back into the mixng bowl, and let the dough rest at room temperature for 1-1½ hour.
5. Put all the filling ingredients together in another mixing bowl except the marzipan.
6. Flatten the dough with your fingers into a rough square shape. Pour the filling on top of the dough. 
7. Fold the dough in thirds, make a square turn, flatten the dough, before folding in thirds again. Place the dough into the mixing bowl for ½ hour raising.
8. Meanwhile make the creme d´amande by beating the soft butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually add in the lest ingredients little by little to make a good emulsion.
9. Cool down the creme d´amande in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
10. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, place each piece smooth-side down on the counter top. Flatten the dough into rectangles (20 x 15 cm). Place 3 teaspoons creme d´amande on top of the dough, psreading it leaving a 2 cm border. Scatter the marzipan pieces on top.
11. Fold one side of the dough over the creme d´amande filling, then fold the other dough over, so the dough is overlapping. Press down all around the edges to seal in the filling. Roll the dough into baguette shapes.
12. Place the dough on the baking tray covered with baking parcement. Let the dough raise for a final 2-2½ hours.
13. Heat up the oven to 170-175'C (fan oven), bake the stollen for 20-25 minutes until light golden.
14. Meanwhile make the glazing of melted butter and rum.
15. Take the stolle out of the oven, brush them with the melted butter-rum mixture.
16. Cool down the stollen. Dust the stollen with icing sugar prior to serving it.