Video:Stollen

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Transcript:Stollen

Hi, my name is Heidi Dehncke-Fisher and welcome to About.com Food. Today, I am going to make my father's recipe for stollen.

Description of Stollen

Stollen, a German Christmas bread-like cake filled with dried fruit, almonds, and spices, originated in Dresden around 1450. Today, the bread is made worldwide.

Since 1994, Dresden enjoys a Stollenfest, in which a giant stollen, usually weighing about four tons, is baked and cut and sold for charity.

Stollen Ingredients

To make my father's stollen recipe, you will need:

• 1 3/4 pounds flour
• 1/4 ounce salt
• 4 ounces sugar
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cake yeast envelopes
• peel of 1 lemon
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 pound butter
• 3 ounces chopped almonds
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces raisins
• 1 container orange peel, candied
• 1 container lemon peel, candied
• powdered sugar

Combine the Stollen's Ingredients

Begin by mixing most of the dry ingredients together. Combine half the flour, the salt, sugar, nutmeg, and yeast.

At the same time, heat the milk and butter in a saucepan and add this to dry mixture. Add your almonds. Be careful not to let the butter and milk mixture overheat on the stovetop, as it will kill the yeast.

Now add the rest of the flour, eggs, raisins, orange peel, and lemon peel. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for two hours.

Braid and Bake the Stollen

Shape or braid on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes. I have sprinkled powdered sugar on it, and it's ready to serve.

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