I’ve been lucky enough to travel quite a lot over the years – both for work and for fun. I’ve traveled all over America, Australia, and a lot of Europe. One year, I found myself in Germany, right around Christmas time.
Germany at Christmas is amazing! They take it very seriously as it’s one of their major annual holidays. Most towns have a Christmas market where you can buy festive goods and amazing food to eat.
One of the things I discovered was a sort of bready cake called Stollen. It’s a rich, crusty dough loaded with fruit and spices, and it’s utterly delicious. Needless to say, after trying a slice or two, I ended up buying several Stollen to take with me when I moved on to my next country.
Sadly, and despite my best efforts, I had no Stollen left when I finally made it home. I tried to find it in specialty stores, but I was not successful. Luckily, it’s not too hard to make yourself, and that’s what I did. I tried a few different recipes, but the one I’m sharing with you today is my favorite. Give it a try; I know you’ll love it just as much as I do!
It takes a while to make, but it’s a simple recipe that’s easy to follow. Why not enroll your kids as helpers; they’ll love getting involved! Simple, tasty, and easy to make; this is the best Christmas cake ever.
Preparation time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Number of Servings: 10
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces mixed, dried fruit and peel
- 6 fluid ounces apple juice
- 1 teaspoon dried yeast
- 9 ounces plain flour
- 1 ½ ounces whole almonds, blanched
- ½ teaspoon of mixed Christmas spices e.g. cinnamon, allspice, cloves
- 3 ounces marzipan, cut into small pieces
- ½ ounce melted butter
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
Instructions:
- Soak the dried fruit in warmed water to soften
- Warm the apple juice in a saucepan for a few minutes, and then add the yeast to activate it
- Put the flour in a bowl and add the apple juice. Mix well and then cover. Leave for about an hour until the dough doubles in size
- Drain the fruit and add to the dough. Also add the nuts, marzipan, and spices
- Knead the ingredients to form a dough and shape into a loaf
- Cover again and leave for another 30 minutes to prove
- Bake in a pre-heated oven set to 180 degrees C. for 20 minutes, and then lower the heat to 150 degrees C. and bake for another 25-30 minutes until golden brown
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and brush all over with the melted butter. Sprinkle with icing sugar and then allow to cool. Cut into slices and store in an airtight container
Recipe source: bbcgodfood.com
Picture credit: Kingarthurflour.com
More Christmas Ideas
Bake your own food (more baking ideas for Christmas here), get inspired and share with your family healthy meals, dessert, and treats. All my Christmas recipes here.
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