Christmas Stollen Ii Food

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN WITH ALMONDS & MARZIPAN

Steps:

• Soak the dried fruit in 100ml of hot water. Gently warm the apple juice for a few mins in a pan, then add the yeast and leave to activate for 10-15 mins (it will start to bubble).
• Put the flour in a bowl. Stir in the yeast and apple juice mixture to form a smooth dough, then cover and leave to prove somewhere warm until roughly doubled in size, about 1-2 hrs. You can also put the dough in the fridge to rise slowly overnight.
• Drain the fruit and add to the dough along with the nuts, spices and marzipan. Squish everything together, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the fruit stays in the dough.
• Shape the dough into a sausage shape and put it on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove somewhere warm for 30 mins-1 hr until it has risen by about a quarter.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the stollen for 20 mins, then reduce oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for 25-30 mins more until golden brown and firm to the touch.
• Remove the stollen from the oven and brush all over with the melted butter. Dust with the icing sugar and leave to cool completely before slicing. Store any remaining stollen, well wrapped, in an airtight container.

GERMAN CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, soak the raisins, candied fruit, and almonds in the rum overnight, stirring occasionally.
• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm milk with a pinch of sugar.
• Proof for 10 minutes, or until bubbles form.
• Mix 4 cups of the flour with the yeast mixture, egg, remaining 3/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt using a spoon or in a stand mixer with the dough hook for several minutes. The dough should just come together and not be very smooth yet. Remove from the bowl and set aside.
• Cream 14 tablespoons of the softened butter and the remaining 2/3 cup of flour with the nutmeg and cardamom until smooth. Switch to the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer.
• Add yeast dough mixture to the creamed mixture and begin mixing with the paddle beater until incorporated and a dough begins to form. Switch to the dough hook and continue beating until the dough is smooth.
• Let the dough rest, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a tabletop or lightly floured board. Knead in the rum-soaked fruit and almonds. Let rest for 15 minutes.
• Return the dough to the floured board and form into a rectangle with 2 high sides and a dip in the middle. Fold one-third of the dough over to the middle, filling the dip. Pat into a stollen shape.
• Fold a piece of aluminum foil several times on the 2 long ends to build walls for the stollen, so it holds the shape while baking. You may also use a stollen pan if you have one.
• Let the stollen rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. Heat the oven to 350 F.
• Dot the top of the stollen with the remaining 1 tablespoon softened butter. Bake loaves for 45 to 55 minutes, or until loaves are golden and done, about 190 F in the center. Cover with foil if it begins to brown too much.
• Brush warm loaf with the melted butter and dust thickly with confectioners' sugar . Cool on a rack.
• Wrap tightly in foil and keep in a cool place for two to three weeks to ripen.

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

Steps:

• In small bowl, soak raisins and candied fruits in orange juice.
• Set aside 1 cup flour.
• In large bowl, mix remaining flour, almonds, sugar, orange peel, lemon peel, salt and yeast.
• In small sauce pan, heat milk, butter and water till hot to the touch (about 125°-130°F).
• Stir hot liquids into dry mixture.
• Stir in fruit/orange juice mixture and eggs.
• Mix in only enough reserved flour to make a soft dough.
• Knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 8-10 minutes).
• Cover dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 2 pieces, roll each piece into a 10 x 7 inch oval.
• Fold long side of oval over to within 1/2 inch of the opposite side, seal seam.
• Place loaves on a greased baking sheets.
• Cover and let rise in a warm draft free place until doubled in size (about 50-60 minutes).
• Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until done.
• Remove loaves from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.
• When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar.

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

Steps:

• Dry ingredients.
• In a large bowl;.
• • Sift flour and sugar together. Mix well.
• • Add yeast. Mix well.
• • Make a well in the middle. Set aside.
• Wet ingredients.
• In another bowl;.
• • Warm the milk and butter.
• • Add one egg. Whisk until all the milk is absorbed.
• The dough.
• • Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Combine well.
• • Lightly flour a clean kneading surface.
• • Turn the dough out and knead until the surface is slightly shiny. The dough ball should be stretchy when it's ready.
• • Lightly oil one of the mixing bowls. Place dough ball in the bowl and cover. Put the bowl in a warm place.
• • Let rise for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
• The part that makes it Christmas.
• • Rinse all the cherries to get rid of the juice.
• • Quarter ¼ cup of the cherries, half red, half green.
• • Chop the remaining cherries in to (approximately) ¼ inch x ¼ inch bits.
• • Place all the cherries into a fine mesh strainer and rinse with luke warm water.
• • Once well rinsed to remove as much of the juice you can, turn out on to a clean tea towel. Fold the tea towel on to the cherries and gently press to remove any remaining water and juice.
• • Place in a small bowl.
• • Grate the lemon rind and put in the bowl containing the cherries.
• • Put the sliced almonds in the same bowl and mix all ingredients.
• The Almond Paste.
• • In a small bowl, cube the almond paste. Add the white of the second egg. Discard the yolk. Blend well and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F Have a rack in the center.
• Pour the fruit mixture on to a floured surface. After the dough has risen, place on top of the fruit mixture and knead until everything is well combined, flouring lightly as needed to keep the elasticity of the dough intact.
• Roll the dough until about one-half inches thick. You should have a circle of dough about 14 - 16 inches in diameter.
• If you are able, roll the almond paste in to a rope the length being about an inch shorter than the diameter of your rolled out dough. If you can't roll the almond paste, spread it directly on to the rolled out dough, right across the center. Fold the dough in half, over the almond paste. Pat the dough together, flattening the almond paste a bit. Place the loaf corner to corner on to a flat baking sheet. Use parchment paper if you have it, otherwise you can lightly grease the baking sheet.
• Let the loaf rise for 10 to 15 minutes (less if you want the loaf a bit flatter).
• Bake for 30 minutes and check the bread. It should be golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and cool. Rub the surface with margarine. When its just barely warm, sift icing sugar on to the crescent. Stick two or three holly leaves with a few holly berries on the center at the top (the non-iced part).
• For serving, slice ¾ inches wide. Store the bread in a plastic bag, after it's completely cooled.

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

Steps:

• Soak raisins and fruit in orange juice; set aside. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, butter, sugar, eggs, orange and lemon zest, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add raisin mixture and almonds. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours., Punch dough down; let rest for 10 minutes. Divide in half; roll each half into a 10-in. x 7-in. oval. Fold one of the long sides over to within 1 in. of the opposite side; press edges lightly to seal. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour. , Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN II

Steps:

• Place the fruit in a bowl with the rum, and soak for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons flour into the fruit, together with the almonds. Stir until the flour is completely absorbed.
• In a small bowl, stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar into the water. Let stand for 15 minutes.
• Warm the milk until it is lukewarm, and stir in the remaining sugar until it has dissolved. Stir in the almond extract and lemon rind.
• Place all but 1/4 cup of the flour in a large bowl with the salt, and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture, and stir in a little of the flour from the edge of the well. Add egg and the milk and sugar mixture. Beat in softened butter. Mix together to form a dough.
• Turn dough onto a floured work surface. Knead, using the rest of the flour, for 15 minutes, or until no longer sticky. Knead in fruit and almonds. Clean and dry the bowl, and brush the inside with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Brush the top of the dough with another 2 teaspoons melted butter or margarine, and place it in the bowl. Cover the dough with a clean cloth. Let rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Roll it out into a 8 x 12 inch rectangle. Brush with remaining melted butter or margarine. Bring one long side across it, overlapping it in place with seam by about 1 inch. Press the edge gently to keep it in place. With floured hands, taper the ends of the loaf slightly and push the sides gently together to mound it in the center. The finished loaf should be about 3 1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long. Place the loaf on a floured baking sheet, and brush it with any remaining melted butter or margarine. Leave it in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until golden and crusty. Cool on a wire rack. Just before serving the stollen, sift the confectioners' sugar over the top.