“More like a bread, this German treat has a rich, super-sweet marzipan centre. ”
Ingredients
- 200 g dried sour cherries
- 3 tablespoons kirsch
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 500 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
- 225 ml milk
- 2 sachets dried yeast
- 50 g caster sugar
- 1 large free-range egg
- 150 g mixed peel
- 50 g whole almonds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 300 g marzipan or almond paste
- 100 g icing sugar
- 1 clementine
Method
- A few hours ahead, or even a day ahead, soak the cherries in kirsch.
- Melt the butter. Sift the flour into a bowl. Heat the milk to lukewarm, pour into a jug and stir in the yeast, sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Leave for 5 minutes, then stir in the butter and beat in the egg. Pour into the flour and mix till smooth and shiny. Turn onto a floured surface and make a hollow in the centre.
- Drain away any excess booze from the cherries before adding them. Chop and add the mixed peel and almonds, followed by the cinnamon. Knead well. After about 5 minutes the dough should be elastic, but not sticky.
- Flour the bowl and put the dough back. Cover with a cloth and leave for 1 to 2 hours, till doubled in size.
- Empty the dough onto a floured surface and briefly knead; roll into a 36cm x 26cm rectangle. Roll the marzipan out to be the same length and place along the middle. Fold the dough over, encasing the marzipan, and place on a tray. Leave to rise until doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC/gas 5.
- Bake the stollen for 45 minutes, till golden. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl, add the clementine zest and juice to make a thick icing. Drizzle over the stollen before serving.
Source: Jamie Oliver
