Stollen

 Stollen

• 660 gr flour type 70%

• 200 gr milk

• 75 gr sugar

• 45 gr fresh yeast

• 36 gr egg

• 120 gr soften butter

• 75 gr almonds fillet

• 150 gr white raisins

• 150 gr black raisins

• 75 gr fruits preserved by sugar

• 1,5 gr cardamom

• 1,5 gr nutmeg

• 45 gr cognac

• 36 gr orange juice

• Zest of an orange

• 1,5 gr vanilla

• 2 lemon zest and their juice

• 1,5 gr salt

In a bowl combine preserved fruits , all raisins, cognac , lemon and orange juice. Let them soak for a while , mixing them often. In the mixer’s bowl place flour , all aromatic ingredients and zests , the egg, butter and milk in which has been already dissolved yeast. Start stirring in slow speed to form the dough for about 6 minutes, add salt and stir for 2 more minutes in high speed. Add the mixture of raisins and preserved fruits with cognac and juices. It has to be a sticky dough finally. Let it rest in a warm place , right after with floured hand form the stollens with the usual known way, by laying out the dough in a flat piece and fold one end to the other till the middle of it. Place it on a cooking sheet , let a bit to rest and bake at 180 Celsius degrees for 40 minutes. After baking them and they’re cooled enough there are two ways to decorate them.

The first way is the most easy, just coat the whole stollen with melted butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar, or make an almond paste , knead the paste well and lay it out on the stollen’s surface.

For the almond paste :

• 1,5 kg almond powder

• 2,5 kg powdered sugar

• 750 gr glucose

• 500 gr Cointreau

• 10 gr amaretto

First and very important is to riddle almond powder at least 3-4 times , as well as powdered sugar. Mix all ingredients in mixer’s bowl and stir till a dough is formed. To lay this almond paste, sprinkle the working surface with corn flour , to prevent the dough to stick on the working table. It may also be colored with food coloring.