Christmas Stollen Marias Way 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.

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the egg, white sugar, salt, butter, and 2 cups bread flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has begun to pull together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead in the currants, raisins, dried cherries, and citrus peel. Continue kneading until smooth, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the marzipan into a rope and place it in the center of the dough. Fold the dough over to cover it; pinch the seams together to seal. Place the loaf, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake for a further 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow loaf to cool on a wire rack. Dust the cooled loaf with confectioners' sugar, and sprinkle with the cinnamon.

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 SUGAR BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk.
• Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes).
• In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the egg, white sugar, salt, butter and 2 cups bread flour; beat well.
• Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
• When the dough has begun to pull together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the currants, raisins, dried cherries, mixed peel and the ginger and spices.
• Knead until smooth (about 8 minutes).
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, and turn to coat with oil.
• Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 1 hour).
• Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll the marzipan into a rope and place it in the centre of the dough.
• Fold the dough over to cover it.
• Pinch the seams together to seal.
• Place the loaf, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 60 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 Degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and bake for a further 30- 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Allow loaf to cool on a wire rack.
• Dust the cooled loaf with the icing sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon.

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, MARIA'S WAY

Steps:

• Place all candied fruit (except halved cherries) in colander, wash off all sticky coating. Drain until as dry as possible.
• Have raisins and nuts ready, but do not add to fruit at this time.
• Heat water,milk, and margarine until 115-125°F Margarine does not need to melt completely.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour and all other dry ingredients.
• Pour liquid with margarine into bowl with dry ingredients, and beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup flour and eggs, beat on high for 2 minutes.
• Stir in remaining flour until desired consistency occurs.
• Knead until satiny and elastic.
• Place dough in buttered bowl and turn dough so that buttered side is up.
• Cover with damp towel and let rise in warm place until dough doubles in size (1-2 hours).
• Sprinkle a little flour over drained fruit and toss to coat.
• Punch down dough and spread on floured surface.
• Add all fruit, raisins and nuts, and knead until all are incorporated into dough.
• It may be necessary to add a little flour, since the fruit may make the dough sticky.
• Divide dough in 1/2 and roll into 2 ovals, each 9x15 inches.
• Brush one oval with melted butter, leaving 1 inch around edge unbuttered.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
• Fold over and seal edges securely to form crescent.
• Repeat with second oval.
• Let rise about 1- 1/2 hours until double in size.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Bake at 375°F for about 35 minutes.
• While hot, spread with white sugar frosting and decorate with halved maraschino cherries and pecan halves.
• Preparation time does not include rising time.