Method
Preparation
Take the butter and eggs out of the fridge a couple of hours before you start,
to let them warm through to room temperature.
If the apricots are very dry, marinate them in FAIRTRADE
orange juice for a couple of hours.
Prepare the dough.
Warm the milk through until just hot to a finger,
add a teaspoon of sugar and the dried yeast and leave set aside to let the yeast start to work.
it will form a nice big frothy head.
Beat the eggs.
Sift 450 gm of the flour and the sugar together in a mixing bowl and add the salt.
Make a well in the middle and pour the yeasty milk in, and add the butter and eggs.
Mix together using a wooden spoon until the mix is well combined, and leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
If the dough is too sticky progressively add a little more flour until it behaves itself.
Put the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise (about 2 hours).
Prepare the filling
Extract the seeds from the cardomons and crush in a pestle and mortar.
Peel the lemon and the orange taking the zest but as little of the pith as possible.
Slice the peel fine (I use a double handed herb knife)
Juice the lemon for the glaze and discard the pith.
Chop the dates.
Chop the almonds.
Cut the apricots into quarters using scissors.
Feed the remaining orange to any hungry / inquisitive people.
Mix together the peel, the cardomon powder, the cinnamon, the raisins and sultanas, and chopped dates and apricots.
Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5 (190 deg C).
Assemble the Stollen
Turn the dough out onto a floured worksurface and beat the air out,
kneading the dough until it is "smooth and elastic".
Cut the dough in two and roll out (on a floured surface)
into two rectangles about 25 cm by 18 cm.
Roll out the marzipan into two "sausages" each 22 cm long.
Put the marzipan sausages in the middle of the dough,
and spread out the fruit and peel.
With the long side in front of you, roll each dough up into a loaf shape
taking in the fruit and marzipan as you go.
Crimp the ends and place on a floured baking sheet and leave to rise for a further 30 minutes.
Cooking
Bake for 35 minutes until a pale golden colour.
NB. Two Stollen side by side in the oven is fine, but you should expect some
"oven lift" and they will probably touch together. If you are aiming at perfection, bake one and then make up the second
and allow it to rise whilst the first is baking.
Finish Off
Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, and then lift onto a wire rack.
Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice.
Spread this over the stollen whilst still warm and dust with more icing sugar.
To serve
Eat in thick slices, with butter.
Variations
Fruit measurements given are a guide, use 200 to 250 gm dry weight of fruit.
Other fruits such as marinated mango, marinated pineapple, cranberries, work just as well.
Marinating juices can be spirits (FAIRTRADE if you are able), wine and honey mixed,
or tropical fuit juice.
Preservation
Stollen freezes well.
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