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Moist and Fluffy Christmas Stollen

For this delicious Moist and Fluffy Christmas Stollen, dried fruits are soaked overnight in Brandy to give a wonderful flavor. This recipe makes 3 loaves, one for you and two to give away to friends.

Now if you are familiar with the Williams Sonoma, which is where this recipe comes from, you may be thinking why not just buy a Stollen from them directly. Well for one, they are expensive! Secondly, homemade Stollen is so fresh, fluffy and delicious! Finally, you get three loaves instead of one.

Initially I was afraid the bread might come out dry, but it has such a great texture and best of all it has so much flavor. I had a lot of doubts about how this would turn out and I was taken aback at how delicious and perfect it turned out. Enjoy!

Moist and Fluffy Christmas Stollen

Moist and Fluffy Christmas Stollen

For this delicious Moist and Fluffy Christmas Stollen, dried fruits are soaked overnight in Brandy to give a wonderful flavor. This recipe makes 3 loaves, one for you and two to give away to friends.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 30 slices, approx. Makes 3 large loaves
Calories 225 kcal

Equipment

  • Baking Sheet
  • Parchment Paper Sheets

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup currants
  • 1/3 cup diced citron
  • 1/3 cup diced candied orange peel
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 cup milk warmed
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3/4 cup (4 oz.) sliced almonds toasted, cooled and chopped
  • 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided, see recipe below make sure to fluff up the flour before measuring so it isn’t packed tight
  • 7 oz marzipan cut into small bite sized pieces

Garnish:

  • powdered sugar glaze

Instructions
 

  • Combine cranberries, currants, citron, orange peel, and brandy in a small dish; cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.
  • Pour the warm water into a large bowl; sprinkle the yeast over the top; let stand until dissolved — about 1 minute.  Stir in the milk, melted butter, granulated sugar and salt.  Whisk in the eggs and almond extract; mix in the almonds and fruit mixture.  Using a wooden spoon, gradually beat in about 4 1/2 cups flour to make a semi-soft dough.
  • Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead, adding about 1 cup more flour as needed to prevent sticking, until smooth and elastic — about 5 minutes.  Gather the dough into a ball and place in a bowl greased with butter; turn to coat with the butter and cover with a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm, draft-free area until the dough is doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
  • Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface.  Knead until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Divide into 3 equal portions.  Roll out each into a round, 3/4 inch thick.  Place the marzipan chunks evenly on the dough rounds.  Roll up each round jelly-roll style.  Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the rolls, seam side down, on it.  Cover with the towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 375.  Bake until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom, about 45 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack.  Dust the loaves with confectioners’ sugar or create a basic powdered sugar glaze. Let cool completely and dust again with the powdered sugar before serving.  Serve immediately or wrap airtight and store at cool room temperature for 3 days.

Notes

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Holiday Baking

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, 10 per loafCalories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 95mgPotassium: 103mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 183IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
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4 Comments

  1. These look amazing! Better than William Sonoma 🙂 I really want to try this recipe. I don't normally bake yeast breads because I'm too impatient! 🙂