Magdalene's Christmas stollen

Name: Magdalene's Christmas stollen
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 1 log
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 500g self-raising flour; 200g castor sugar; 175g unsalted butter, room temperature, finely chopped; 250g quark*; 125g almond meal or blanched almonds ground in a food processor; 40g candied citron; 200g sultanas; ¼ tsp each of ground cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon; 1 x 2ml bottle almond aroma**; 1 x 2ml bottle rum aroma**; 2 eggs; 100g extra butter; 150g icing sugar

Brigitte Hafner

October 19, 2011

Time:1-2 hoursMakes:1 log

It's a funny thing how smells can bring back so many memories - but now when I see that stollen coming out of the oven and smell the scent of almonds and spices I am transported back to my childhood. My Christmas memories are of walking into golden flickering candlelight on Christmas Eve and rooms decorated with traditional German figurines.

Ingredients

500g self-raising flour
200g castor sugar
175g unsalted butter, room temperature, finely chopped
250g quark*
125g almond meal or blanched almonds ground in a food processor
40g candied citron
200g sultanas
¼ tsp each of ground cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon
1 x 2ml bottle almond aroma**
1 x 2ml bottle rum aroma**
2 eggs
100g extra butter
150g icing sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 160C.
Sift the flour onto the bench, add the sugar, butter, quark, almond meal, dried fruit, spices, aromas and eggs. Bring together using your hands and knead into a dough. Shape into a log and place in a rectangle baking tray about 15cm x 30cm. A baking tray stops it spreading. Bake for 75 minutes or until lightly golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.
While the stollen is hot, melt the extra butter and brush all of it over the top. Sift the icing sugar over the top and cool on a cake rack.
The stollen tastes best after a week or two, but it needs to be very well wrapped, use a layer of foil then plastic wrap to ensure it doesn't dry out. It will last for weeks kept this way in the fridge.
*Quark is a cottage cheese made from cow's milk that can be found in good supermarkets. Ricotta is a good substitute.
**These small vials can be found in Italian supermarkets and delis or some German butchers. I know two brands: Dr Oetka and Paneangeli. You can substitute essence.