My very first 'Christmas Stollen'

After the very lovely (and tiring) Christmas day, all day, the following morning I really enjoyed my peaceful morning. No rush, no wake up early. I even woke up late!
No need to worry about breakfast-lunch or even dinner for today, still plenty of food on the dining table and inside the fridge. Yesterday, we got plenty 'take away' food from my parents and parents in law's house, after Christmas get together.

I walked in our yard this morning, listening the small birds' tweet, heard my son greeted 'Merry Christmas' to our Labrador while my husband was feeding it, and enjoyed the flowers that coloring our yard. I grab my camera and took some pictures of them. I think this was the most relaxing morning for me this year.

With a cup of tea, I enjoyed the last slices of Stollen that I baked 2 days ago, a day before Christmas. That time, we enjoyed before attending the Christmas Eve Service.
This is my very first time baking Stollen, even I already planed a couple years ago to try baking this traditional German fruitcake during the Christmas season, and for many of reason I never made it. aahhh...

Actually, I'm not sure if this is a succesful stollen or not. It was long ago, the last time I ate stollen that I got from a good bakery here, in Jakarta.
The stollen that I baked has a solid texture, it's between cake and bread, and I can say that it is like a heavy cake, not kind of dry cake.

I ate it everyday for the last three days, and it still has the same delicious flavor and texture since the first time it came out from the oven. Whether it's the correct stollen or not, we like it so much. We enjoyed it at home, also on the road on the way to the parents' house.

Just to let you know, that I just put raisins and craisin (dried cranberries) for the dried fruit, without sultana and candied mix peel, no cherry and no cachous.

Christmas Stollen
This traditional German fruitcake is sure to become a Christmas favourite.
Source : from Taste.com.au-Delicious Magazine Dec 2008, recipe by Valli Little.

Ingredients (serves 8)
2 1/2 cups (375g) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
3/4 cup (90g) almond meal
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
100g chilled unsalted butter, chopped, plus extra melted butter to brush
125g cream cheese
1 egg, plus 1 extra yolk
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
2 tbs brandy
1/2 tsp each vanilla & almond extracts
1/2 cup (80g) sultanas
1/3 cup candied mixed peel
1 cup (160g) icing sugar, sifted
2 tbs chopped glace cherries
1 tbs silver cachous

Method
Briefly pulse flour, baking powder, caster sugar, meal, cardamom and 1/2 tsp salt in a processor to combine. Add butter and cheese and pulse until a sandy mixture. Add egg, yolk, milk, brandy, vanilla and almond extracts, and process to a dough, then turn out onto a floured bench. Scatter with sultanas and peel, then knead until incorporated and dough is smooth. Cover in plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray. On a floured surface, roll dough to a 24cm x 36cm rectangle. With 1 long side facing you, fold one third of the dough away from you into the centre, then fold over again to make a long rectangle (about 12cm x 36cm). Place fold-side down on tray, brush with melted butter, then bake for 45 minutes or until slightly risen and golden, and a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Meanwhile, gradually mix icing sugar with 2-3 tbs water to make a soft icing. Drizzle over cooled stollen, then sprinkle with cherries and cachous.

From our home,
We wish you a Merry Christmas & a relaxing holiday.
May this season bring you joy, happiness, and some great photos.

We'll be out of the city for the next four days. I promise to share the story later. See you again.