Stollen is a traditional German loaf cake with dried fruit. When eaten during the Christmas season it is called Christstollen.
Christmas Stollen is a Family Tradition
This recipe comes from Donna McEwen, who lives within the old walled city of Quebec in Canada. In her family, it is known as “Granddaddy’s Christmas Stollen”. Why? Because Donna is married to David Mendel, whose father was born in Berlin.
A German neighbor used to supply the family with this tasty treat once a year during the Christmas holidays. Granddaddy Mendel loves Stollen and was thrilled to find this easy recipe. Donna and David’s boys, Jonathan and Matthew, are happy to polish off a loaf of Stollen any time of the year! Eating it on Christmas morning is a family tradition.
Ingredients for Granddaddy’s Christmas Stollen
- 2 - 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon rum flavouring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1/4 cup candied cut citrus peel*
- 1/4 cup candied cherries, quartered
- 1 teaspoon melted butter, or more to taste
- Icing sugar to spread on top
Baking Granddaddy’s Stollen
Put the first six ingredients in a large bowl. Grate in the butter, which should be crumbly. In blender, mix in cottage cheese, egg and three flavourings. Purée. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Combine. Add the currants, candied citrus peels and cherries.
When combined well, knead about eight times on a lightly floured surface. Roll into an oval shape ten inches long and eight inches wide. About three inches off center, lengthwise, use the dull side of a knife to make a cut of about 1/4 inch deep. This makes it easier to bend.
Fold the narrow side over, on top of the bigger side. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350ºF about 45 to 50 minutes. Brush with melted butter and sift icing sugar over top. Best if stored two days tightly wrapped in foil.
*Candied Citrus Peel Directions
Ingredients:
- Peels from 3 large oranges (or grapefruit)
- 3/4 cup of water
- 2 tablespoons corn or maple syrup
- 2-3/4 cups of sugar
Cut the peel into long strips about 1/4 inch wide. Put them into a pan (not aluminium) and add water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Drain. Boil the water, syrup and two cups of sugar. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the peels. Simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the peels with a slotted spoon, cool for five minutes, then separate the strips. Dry for another hour. (Donna uses her food dryer for a couple of hours.) Toss the peels with the rest of the sugar in a plastic bag. Allow the peels to air dry for another three hours. Store them in an airtight container. ,Keeps one month, or can be frozen.
Fellowship and Food
This recipe is from Fellowship and Food, a cookbook produced by Donna and other parishioners at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Quebec City, the oldest Anglican Cathedral outside the British Isles. This cookbook contains several recipes with an international flavor and many of them are accompanied with a story.
The Very Reverend Christian Schreiner is the dean of the cathedral. He hails from Germany and knows all about Stollen. He fell in love with, and married, a Quebec woman he met in South America, but that’s another story.
Source:
Fellowship and Food, with permission from editor Joanna Woodson Foust. The cookbook may be ordered from the Parish of Quebec, 31, rue des Jardins, Quebec, QC, Canada G1R 4L6. A donation of $24 covers the book, postage and handling.
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