Thanks to Sylvia (Hi my name is Sylvia and these are some of my favorites. Hope you enjoy
them.)
Lebkuchen
Lebkuchen is a traditional German holiday cookie. It is high in spicy
flavor.
Marzipan Wreaths
Mandelmakronen (Almond Macaroons)
Haselnussplätzchen (Hazelnut Cookies)
Marzipan-Pralinen (Marzipan Pralines)
Mulled Wine (Glühwein) Germans enjoy Glühwein or "Glow Wine" quite a bit
around Christmas and New Year's Day. A favorite place to sip a warming glass
is outside at the Christmas market.
Nurenburg Gingerbread (Nürnberger Lebkuchen) Gingerbread is a German
Christmas classic that actually predates Christianity. In classical Greek
times it was produced in Rhodes. Over time, merchants along the ancient
spice roads carried the delicacy to Nuremberg. There, bakers have made
gingerbread or Lebkuchen since the Middle Ages according to secret recipes.
The gingerbread house came to fame after the German brothers Grimm wrote
down the famous fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. Now every December, bakers
(and devoted parents) build gingerbread houses.
Gingerbread Men and Houses
Baumkuchen A true test of a pastry chef's skills, the Baumkuchen has earned
its reputation as the "King of Cakes." This labor-intensive specialty gets
it name, which translates literally as Tree Cake, from the many thin rings
that form as layer upon layer of cake is baked. For more than 200 years
German bakers have been producing this treat by placing a thin spit over a
heat source, originally a wood fire, then evenly brushing batter over it,
giving each new layer a chance to bake to a golden brown before brushing on
the next. When the cake is removed and sliced, each layer is divided from
the next by a golden line, resembling the rings on a crosscut tree. Skilled
pastry chefs have been known to create cakes with 25 layers, weighing over
100 pounds and measuring more than 3 feet long. The recipe here is adapted
for the home baker and uses a spring form pan instead of a spit. Of course
the ring effect won't be exactly the same, but the taste is still worth the
effort and you won't have to spend your Christmas holiday cleaning drips of
burned batter off the oven.
Cinnamon Stars (Zimtsterne) Cinnamon stars can be found throughout Germany
during the Christmas season. As the holiday approaches, local bakeries pack
these light, spicy cookies into small cellophane bags -- just the right size
for a quick purchase and immediate snack. You will notice that they have an
unusual preparation method that helps them keep their shape, as well as
making them light and a little crispy.
Dresden Christmas Loaf (Dresdner Weihnachtsstollen) Long before the Romans
occupied parts of Germany, Germanic peoples prepared special breads rich in
dried fruit to mark the winter solstice. Today, nearly every village and
family has their own recipe for the bread's descendant, Christmas
Stollen.
Here is a classic recipe from Dresden. Stollen should be prepared at least a
few days before Christmas so its flavor develops. It is also a popular
Christmas gift.
10 Different Christmas Stollen
Recipes
Lebkuchen
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mixed candied fruit
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
Spray bottom and sides of a 10x15 inch glass pan with a non-stick spray.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, heat the honey and 1/3-cup sugar in a
microwave for 1 minute. Pour this mixture into a medium-mixing bowl.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to the honey
mixture. Stir well.
Add and mix in by hand the candied fruit, oil, and spices
Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups more flour. Knead dough to mix (dough will be stiff).
Spread into pan. Bake for 20 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out
clean.
Cut into squares. May be frosted with sugar glaze or eaten plain. Best if
stored for 2 weeks.
Makes 2 dozen
Mandelmakronen (Almond Macaroons)
Ingredients:
2 cups unpeeled almonds
1-2/3 cups powdered sugar
5 egg whites
90 round baking wafers (these crisp, flat wafers are widely used in European
baking and are available in specialty food stores in the U.S.)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 275° F. Place almonds in a bowl and cover with boiling
water. Let stand for about 3 minutes. Remove skins. Place the almonds in a
blender and grind to a semi-coarse consistency. Add sugar and blend again.
Beat egg whites and combine with almond-sugar mixture.
Place baking wafers on a cookie sheet. Using a wet teaspoon put a small
amount of mixture onto each wafer. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until
the mixture has become crisp and dry. Do not let the cookies brown. Remove
and let cookies cool on a rack.
About 90 cookies
Haselnussplätzchen (Hazelnut Cookies)
Ingredients:
1 cup, plus 4 teaspoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons ground hazelnuts (almonds or coconut may be
substituted)
2 egg whites
Baking wafers - 3 inches (these crisp, flat wafers are widely used in
European baking and are available in specialty food stores in the U.S.)
Directions:
Mix together all ingredients. Use a teaspoon to drop small scoops of dough
onto the baking wafers (the wafers make it easy to remove the cookies from
the cookie sheet).
Place on a cookie sheet on the second shelf from the bottom of the oven.
Bake until golden brown at 350-375 for 20 minutes.
About 40 cookies
Marzipan
Marzipan has been used for centuries by pastry chefs all over the world. It
can be used in baking and for covering and filling cakes. Marzipan looks
fabulous for colorful cake decorations and figurines. Marzipan has to have
at least 25 % almonds otherwise it is considered almond paste.
A thin layer of Marzipan can be used to cover a cake. Colored it can replace
the need for frosting. It is also used under Fondant, much like apricot
glaze to protect the Fondant from moisture.
How To Roll Out Marzipan
Marzipan is best worked with at room temperature. Always keep the marzipan
you are not working with covered, to prevent it from drying out. When
rolling out marzipan, do so between wax paper or plastic wrap, or dust work
surfaces with confectioners sugar to prevent sticking. After rolling out,
use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
How To Color Marzipan
Marzipan is best worked with at room temperature. Always keep marzipan you
are not working with covered, to prevent it from drying out. To tint the
marzipan, knead in liquid food coloring ONE DROP AT A TIME. A little food
coloring goes a long way. For brown, knead in cocoa powder. You can also
paint marzipan. Allow your marzipan creation to skin over for two hours.
This will prevent the color from "bleeding" Add a drop of food coloring to a
tablespoon of kirsch or any other clear liquor. Use a small artist's brush
to apply the color.
How To Glaze Marzipan
If your marzipan creation will not be consumed for 24 hours, a glaze will
help keep it fresh. Let your creation skin over for two hours. Make the
glaze by combining ¼ cup light corn syrup with ½ cup water in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil. Brush onto the marzipan while still hot.
How To Make Marzipan Rosebuds
1.Tint marzipan pink by kneading in liquid food coloring. Two drops per half
roll should be plenty.
2. Roll out the marzipan between two pieces of wax paper. The thinner the
marzipan, the more delicate the rosebuds.
3. With a cookie cutter, cut out small discs of marzipan.
4. Overlap three discs.
5.Roll up the discs into a cylinder
6. Rolling the cylinder between your two index fingers, divide it into two
rosebuds.
Marzipan-Pralinen (Marzipan Pralines)
Ingredients:
14 ounces marzipan (prepared almond paste usually packaged in logs,
available in specialty food stores)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2-3 shot glasses of Kirschwasser (cherry water)
40 sour cherries, drained
14 ounces dark chocolate
40 walnut halves
Directions:
After draining the sour cherries, soak in the Kirschwasser for 24 hours. Mix
the marzipan with the powdered sugar and knead into pliable dough. On a
surface covered with powdered sugar, roll out into a sheet roughly 1/2" to
1/4" thick (not too thin or the sheet will break). Drain the cherries. Cover
each cherry with a circle cut from the marzipan sheet, creating a neat ball.
Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Dip each
cherry-marzipan ball into the chocolate and place on a cookie rack. While
the chocolate is still soft, press a walnut half onto each ball. Let harden
in refrigerator.
40 candies
Marzipan Wreaths
Ingredients:
½ Pound of blanched almonds, chopped
¼ Cup of granulated sugar
1 Large egg white
1 Cup of confectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon of water
1 Teaspoon of almond extract
Orange Glaze:
1 Cup of confectioner's sugar
4 Teaspoons of milk
¼ Teaspoon of grated orange peel
PLUS: Colored sugar for decoration
Directions:
Process the almonds and granulated in a food processor or blender until the
almonds are ground to fine crumbs (cornmeal consistency). Beat the egg
white, confectioner's sugar, water and almond extract in a mixer bowl until
well blended. Add the almond mixture, stirring to make a thick paste.
Sprinkle the work surface with confectioner's sugar. Roll the dough by
rounded teaspoons into 3-½ -inch long ropes about 3/8 of an inch thick.
Shape the ropes into rings. Transfer them to a wire rack. Let stand
uncovered at room temperature until dry, 24 hours.
Place the over a sheet of wax paper. Dip the top of each ring into the
Orange Glaze, then in the colored sugar. Let them stand on the wire rack
until the glaze is hardened. Store in covered container up to 2 weeks.
Orange Glaze: Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
Makes 3 dozen
Marzipan-Pralinen (Marzipan Pralines)
Ingredients:
Marzipan uncooked
1/4-pound ground blanched almonds
1/4 pound powdered sugar
1 egg white
1/4 tsp. salt
Marzipan cooked
3 cups sugar
1-cup water
4 cups ground blanched almonds
Both recipe call for extra fine ground blanched almonds. Passing them
through granite rollers finely grounds the almonds. The finer the almonds
the better your results will be.
The uncooked Marzipan is kneaded together until smooth and is then stored in
an airtight container or plastic bag over night.
For cooked Marzipan add the sugar to the water in a saucepan and cook until
the sugar is dissolved. Add the almonds and cook it until the batter stops
sticking to the pan. Remove from heat and place onto a marble slap, wooden
board or a sheet pan. While still warm knead first with a wooden spatula and
then by hand until smooth. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag.
Adding small amounts of syrup to it, if too soft add additional powdered
sugar to it can soften marzipan.
Mulled Wine (Glühwein)
Ingredients:
2 bottles red wine
1-cup sugar
3 cups water
1 lemon, sliced
20 whole cloves
6 to 8 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, sliced for garnish
Directions:
Mix water, lemon and spices and simmer for an hour. Strain. Heat but do not
boil the red wine. Add wine to hot water mixture. Ladle into cups and serve
with half a slice of orange.
Makes 24 glasses
NURENBURG Gingerbread (Nürnberger Lebkuchen)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups unpeeled almonds, coarsely grated
1/3 cup candied orange peel, finely chopped
1 lemon, grated for peel, juice reserved
1/4 whole nutmeg, grated
Confectioner's sugar
Rose water
Baking wafers - 2" in diameter
(Edible pan liners that prevent cookies from sticking, similar to communion
wafers, available in good German delicatessens)
Directions:
Beat eggs and sugar until they have the consistency of thick cream. To this
gradually add almonds, candied orange peel, lemon peel and nutmeg. Place
wafers on baking sheet and spoon dough onto wafers. Dough should be about a
1/2" high. Smooth with a knife dipped into rose water. Bake in a pre-heated
325-350° oven for 10-15 minutes or until bread-like. Remove cookies and let
cool. Meanwhile, mix Confectioner's sugar and lemon juice to a paste. Frost
cookies.
Two Old Fashioned Traditional German Ginger Bread Recipes
Gingerbread Dough 1
6.5 lbs honey
3 lbs sugar
1 lb water
15 lbs bread flour
1 oz ground ginger
1 oz. ground cloves
1 1/2 oz. cinnamon
1/2 oz. ground anise seeds
4 oz. bakers ammonia (triebsalz)***
2 oz. potash*
2 cups milk
Heat honey, sugar and water until melted. Mix bakers ammonia with 1 cup of
milk. Mix potash with 1 cup of milk. Mix all ingredients into dough. Let
stand in refrigerator for 3-4 days. Roll out as desired.
* Potash:
Potassium Carbonate, bicarbonate of soda
Gingerbread Dough 2
3 lbs honey
10 oz. sugar
3 oz. sorbex**
1 lbs eggs
8 oz. milk
1 oz. bakers ammonia (triebsalz)***
1/4 oz. ground ginger
1/4 oz. ground cloves
1/2 oz. cinnamon
1/3 oz. ground anise seeds
10 oz. rye flour
4.5 lbs bread flour
Using a hook smoothen honey in the mixer. Add eggs, sugar and sorbex and
whip until slightly airy and smooth.
Mix bakers ammonia with milk. Add milk and the rest of the ingredients to
the egg mixture and knead well.
Rest overnight in the refrigerator. Roll out as desired.
** Sorbex - Sorbitol liquid
Sorbitol is classified as a hexahydric sugar alcohol and is commercially
available as a 70 % liquid (solution in water). Sorbitol will increase the
smoothness of the dough and is also used to increase shelf live.
Sugar alcohols, which include sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, maltitol syrup,
and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, are found naturally in berries,
apples, plums and other foods. They also are produced commercially from
carbohydrates such as sucrose, glucose and starch. Most sugar alcohols are
approximately half as sweet as sucrose; maltitol and xylitol are about as
sweet as sucrose. As a group, sugar alcohols are incompletely absorbed and
metabolized and consequently contribute fewer calories than other
carbohydrates.
*** Baker's Ammonia (ammonium carbonate)
An old-fashioned leavened. It gives off a noxious smell (phew!) while
baking, but the odor dissipates by the time baking is complete, leaving
extra-crisp cookies or crackers
For Gingerbread Men and Houses
You need an altogether different recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4-cup butter
1/4-cup golden syrup
3/4-cup sugar
Milk
Icing
2/3-cup Confectioner's sugar
2 egg whites
Directions:
Sift the flour with baking soda, salt and spices into a mixing bowl. Melt
butter together with sugar and syrup and pour onto the dry ingredients. Mix
well. Let dough stand in a cool place till stiff enough to handle. On a
floured surface roll out the dough. Using paper or cardboard patterns you
have made beforehand, cut shapes for the house walls, etc. Grease two or
three large baking pans, put on pieces and bake in a moderate oven for 10 -
15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Meanwhile, whip egg w hits
stiff, gradually adding Confectioner's sugar. Assemble by piping icing to
adjoining walls.
Basic house design.
Add a chimney, cut out squares of gingerbread for a walkway, shingles etc.
CONSTRUCTION TIPS
To assure proper fit, check gingerbread pieces before assembling; if
necessary shave edges with a rasp (sold in hardware stores) or a sharp
knife. When assembling gingerbread pieces with icing, work with pastry bag
with medium tip. Check vertical angles of major pieces with a right triangle
or carpenter's square.
To attach right angle pieces: Pipe a line along the edge of one piece; press
it against the adjoining piece and hold it in place for several minutes
until the icing sets. Let dry thoroughly propping attached pieces with a
sturdy small object. When dry, smooth seams with a damp cloth; fill in any
spaces with more icing.
For extra stability, pipe icing along the inside seams as well. Allow
standing for an hour until the icing has completely dried before decorating.
ICING
(Makes 2 cups)
Egg White Icing
3 egg whites
1/2-teaspoon cream of tartar
1 (16 oz box) confectioners powdered sugar
In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Beat 7 minutes with an electric
mixer until smooth and thick. A good test is when a knife blade drawn
through the icing leaves a clean cut. Store in a tightly sealed container if
you are not using it right away.
Second Method
MERINGUE POWDER ROYAL ICING
3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder (available where cake decorating supplies are
sold)
1 1 LB box (3 3/4 cups) confectioner's sugar
4-6 Tablespoons cold water
Put dry ingredients together, add half the water, then add more water as
needed. The consistency of the icing should be thick; where a knife can be
drawn through it leaving a clean path...but not so thick it won't go through
an icing tip. Takes about 2-3 minutes with this method.
ICING TIPS
You will need a basic knowledge of decorating with icing tips and bags to
make gingerbread structures.
If you have never done this before, practice first. Go to a cake-decorating
store and buy a Wilton book. It will show you techniques and give you lots
of ideas.
Buy some disposable plastic pastry bags, and some tips.
You can use tips you like some of the ones I use over and over are:
Round tip 1
Round tip 2
Round tip 3
You will also need what are called "couplers". Buy several; you will want to
have one for each color of icing you plan to use...buy at least 5.
These are two-piece sets, half goes inside the pastry bag, and the other
piece holds the tip on the pastry bag. If you are not familiar with this ask
at the cake-decorating store...it's really easy, but like anything else, if
you have not done it before, it's a little hard to explain.
Mixing icing is a double-edged sword. It's much easier to mix it all ahead,
but you need to use it in a timely fashion or it hardens. I usually mix it
up, and try to fold the pastry bags over to keep the top from drying out. If
I need to keep icing overnight I put it in a Tupperware container right in
the bags. They sell "covers" for the tips to be used for storage, but in my
opinion they don't make that much difference. You are going to have to
unclog the tips anyway if you leave them sit for any period of time. Keep
toothpicks handy for cleaning out tips, and a paintbrush works well too for
getting into the points of the tips. Toothpicks work well for helping
correct errors, keep some handy.
Coloring icing: Color small batches of this icing as needed with Wilton
decorating pastes, which are much more intense and not watery like liquid
food colors.
Using the pastry bags: This is a simple matter of practice. Practice on wax
paper before you try and decorate on the house. You might also want to
decorate the house pieces flat before putting them together. It can be much
easier to do intricate decorations flat rather than trying to work
vertically.
Painting: Another technique I use a lot is "painting". I put a little icing
into a small container or bowl and then add just the smallest amount of
water. In fact sometimes I just wet the paintbrush and then stir the paint
with it and that is enough water. You then paint the gingerbread pieces. The
result when the icing dries are a smooth coating with no visible brushes
lines.
Decorating Techniques: Sometimes it is better to decorate elaborate pieces
flat, and then assemble the pieces.
Decorating a Gingerbread House:
1. Lifesavers, melt them, pour out on wax paper, let harden and put behind
your open windows for accent)
2. Red and black licorice bites, ropes and twists.
3. Pretzel sticks, large and small (fences, log piles)
4. Hershey's chocolate bars, bread them into sections for shutters,
walkways, etc
5. Chocolate chips (use for accent anywhere)
6. Peppermint candies round swirled red and white, use as accent around the
house border, stack for a fence post.
7. Ice Cream cones, cover in frosting for trees, use as turrets on the house
Crackers, use as walkways or shutters.
8. Round cookies, use as whimsical accent, or as wheels if you have a cart,
or as a round window accent
9. Flat almonds or other nuts, good roof material. Gum, cut into pieces for
shingles
10. Shredded Wheat, good for hay in a barnyard scene or roof material.
11. Wafer cookies, build a porch, steps or walkway, shutters
12. Silver drogues (these are in the cake decorating aisle of your store)
they are little silver balls, use for accent anywhere.
13. Gum drops, M & Ms, Red Hots, Chiclets, Wafers Candies (flat, round, old
fashioned candies, wrapped in a wax paper wrapper)
Marshmallows (for snow piles, snowmen, etc.)
Animal cookies, barnyard scene, snowmen, woodpiles, presents in a sleigh.
Baumkuchen
Baumkuchen is a moist almond sponge cake: as successive thin layers bake on,
concentric circles form what look like the rings of a tree when the cake is
sliced open.
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
3/4-cup sugar
8 eggs (separated)
2 tablespoons rum
Grated lemon rind
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup minced almonds
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour mixed with
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons starch
1/2 cup apricot jam, melted
Optional almond paste, powdered sugar or chocolate icing
Directions:
Whip butter and sugar well until creamy. Gradually add egg yolks and the
remaining ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture until a light, foamy
batter forms. Beat egg whites until very stiff and stir gently into the
batter. Pour about 2 tablespoons batter (a thin covering) into an 8-1/2"
spring form pan greased with butter. On the uppermost oven rack, bake (or
broil!) in a preheated oven at 450°F for 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Watch carefully, this browning can take place very quickly. Repeat until all
the batter is gone -- you should have about 14 to 16 layers. When the cake
is done, let it stand a few minutes before running a sharp knife along the
sides of the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and glaze with melted apricot
jam. Once the jam is set, you can add an additional glaze of thinned almond
paste or immediately finish the cake with a thin icing made from powered
sugar or the highest quality chocolate available.
16 servings
Dresden Christmas Loaf (Dresdner Weihnachtsstollen)
Ingredients:
Dough:
4-1/3 cups flour
1 to 1-1/2 cups milk
2.5 oz. yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Margarine or butter
3/4-cup sugar or honey
1 tsp. salt
Flavoring:
1/2 cup candied lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 lemon, grated for rind
1/4 cup rum
1-3/4 cups raisin
Topping:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup Confectioner's sugar
Directions:
Make a soft, pliable yeast dough from ingredients listed in the first
section and let stand in bowl for 10 minutes.
Knead the spices, except the raisins, into the dough. When all other
ingredients are equally distributed, add the raisins. Roll into an oval and
place on a greased baking sheet. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Still on
baking sheet, wrap dough in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for
a few hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator and take off foil.
Sprinkle flour around the loaf to prevent the dough from spreading. Place
loaf in a preheated 350-400° oven and bake 50-60 minutes, till pale gold in
color. Remove from oven. Brush with melted butter and dust with
Confectioner's sugar.
Serves 8-10
Basic Stollen
1/2 cup Chopped candied citron
1/4 cup Chopped candied angelica
1/2 cup Golden raisins
: Boiling water
8 tabls Butter
2 packs Dry yeast
1 cup Milk; warmed
1 teas Salt
2 Eggs; slightly beaten
2/3 cup Granulated sugar
1/2 teas Mace
1/4 teas Ground cardamom
5 1/2 cups All-purpose flour (about)
3/4 cup Chopped blanched almonds
2 tabls Confectioners' sugar
Combine the citron, angelica and raisins in a small bowl, pour boiling water
over to cover, then stir and let stand.
Melt the butter and let cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk
in a large bowl, stir, and let stand a few minutes to dissolve. Add the
salt, eggs, butter, granulated sugar, mace and cardamom, and mix well. Add 2
cups of the flour and beat vigorously until smooth. Add 3 more cups flour, 1
cup at a time, beating well after each. After adding the last cup, beat
until the dough holds
together in a shaggy ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead
for a minute or 2, sprinkling on more flour if necessary to keep it from
being too sticky. Let rest for 10 minutes. Drain the fruits and raisins in a
strainer and press firmly to remove excess water.
Sprinkle the fruit and nuts over the dough, and resume kneading until the
dough is smooth and elastic. Add a little more flour as necessary to keep it
from being too sticky. Place in a greased bowl, and turn the dough about to
coat all surfaces.
Cover and let rise until double in bulk. (This dough is especially rich,
and the first rise might take as long as 3 hours, depending on the
temperature of your kitchen.)
Punch the dough down and divide in half. Shape and pat each piece into an
oval about 10 inches long and 4 1/2 inches at the widest part. Fold almost
in half the long way, bringing the upper edge only about 2/3 of the way
over, so the bottom edge extends beyond the top. Place the loaves on a
greased baking sheet, leaving several inches between them. Cover lightly and
let rise for 45
minutes.
Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 40-to-45 minutes, until
nicely browned. Remove from the oven and dust with the
confectioners' sugar sprinkled through a sieve, then transfer to
racks to cool.
Makes 2 Loaves
Stollen - 2
1/4 oz Yeast (dried), active -(1 package)
3/4 cup Water, warm
1/2 cup Sugar, granulated
3 Lg Eggs
1 Egg yolk
1/2 cup Butter, soft
3 1/2 cup Flour
1 Tabl Lemon peel, grated
1 cup Almonds (blanched), -chopped
1/2 cup Citronat (candied -lemon peel), cut -into small pieces
1/2 cup Orangenat (candied -orange peel), cut-into small pieces
1/2 cup Raisins
Dissolve the yeast in the water and proof it. Add the sugar, eggs,
egg yolk, butter and half of the flour. Beat for 10 minutes. Blend
in the remaining flour, nuts, fruits and peel. Let rise about 1 1/2
hours, until doubled. Punch down, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Knead the dough. Roll into one or two rectangles, butter it, and
fold over the edges to make a rolled loaf. Place on a greased
cookie sheet with the folded edges down. Spread with a combination
of 1 egg white and about 1 T water. Let rise until doubled in size
(45 to 60 minutes).
Bake 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees F. until golden brown.
1 Batch
Christmas Stollen
1 1/8 lb Flour
7 oz Sugar
1 pinch Salt
1 teas Vanilla
1 teas Lemon juice
4 tabls Rum
1 pinch Cardamom (generous)
1 pinch Mace (generous)
2 Eggs
4 1/2 oz Butter
4 1/2 oz Currants well drained
9 oz Sultanas
9 oz Almonds, finely chopped
3 1/2 oz Candied lemon peel
1 3/4 oz Butter for brushing
2 tabls Powdered sugar for dusting
1 3/4 oz Beef drippings
9 oz Cottage cheese, well drained
Mix and sieve together the flour and baking powder onto a pastry board or
cool slab. Make a well in the center and pour in the sugar, vanilla, rum,
lemon juice, and the eggs. Draw in some flour from the sides of the well to
mix with these and form a thick paste. Add the cold butter, cut into small
pieces, the finely chopped beef drippings, cottage cheese, currants,
sultanas, nuts and candied
peel.
Cover the fruits with more of the flour, and then starting from the middle,
work all of it together quickly with your hands into a firm, smooth paste.
If it should stick, add a little more flour. Form the mix into a long, oval
shape, and then fold it over lengthwise to give it the traditional quot;
stollenquot; shape.
Line a baking dish with greased waxed paper and place stollen on
this.
Preheat the oven for 5 minutes at 500F. Then bake at a moderately hot over
(375F) for 50-60 minutes. As soon as the stollen comes out of the oven,
brush with melted butter and dust thickly with powdered sugar.
6 servings
Easy Christmas Stollen
1/2 cups Raisins
1/2 cups Mixed candied fruit, chopped
2 tabls Brandy
3 cups To 3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 cups Sugar
3/4 cup Almonds, ground
2 teas Baking powder
1/4 teas Baking soda
1/2 teas Salt
1/2 teas Cardamom, ground
1/4 teas Nutmeg, ground
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Cottage cheese
2 Eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teas Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped
2 tabls Butter, melted
1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
2 tabls Milk
Candied cherries
Whole almonds
Combine first three ingredients; let stand at room temperature for
1 hour. Combine next 8 ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry
blender or food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Process cottage cheese in food processor or blender until smooth.
Add cottage cheese, eggs, vanilla, raisin mixture, and walnuts to
dry ingredients, stirring until moistened. Shape dough into ball.
Turn dough out on floured surface, and knead until smooth (1 to 2
minutes), adding more flour if necessary. Roll dough to form oval
about 12 xs 8-1/2-inches. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon melted
butter.
Fold long side of dough over to within about 1-1/2 inches of the
opposite side. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake
at 350 degrees F. for 40 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned.
Brush with remaining melted butter. Transfer stollen to wire rack
to cool.
Combine powdered sugar and milk, stirring until smooth. Drizzle
over cooled bread. Garnish with candied cherries and almonds.
1 recipe
Christmas Stollen - 2
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 teas Salt
1 pack Active dry yeast
1/4 cup Warm water
5 cup Sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Finely chopped candied -citron
1/2 cup Finely chopped candied-cherries
1 cup Slivered almonds
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 cup Seedless raisins
2 Eggs, beaten
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/4 teas Nutmeg
1/2 teas Cinnamon
2/3 cup Sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tabls Hot water
Pour milk into a saucepan. Heat to scalding. Turn off heat; stir in 1/2 cup
of the granulated sugar and the salt. Let mixture cool to lukewarm. In a
large bowl, dissolve yeast in the 1/2-cup warm water; let mixture rest for 5
minutes. Pour lukewarm milk mixture into yeast solution. Stir in 1 cup of
the flour. Beat dough with electric mixer or eggbeater until smooth. Cover
bowl with cloth towel; let dough rise in a warm place 1 hour and 30 minutes
or until double in bulk.
Punch down dough in bowl; fold in citron, cherries, almonds, lemon rind and
raisins. Add eggs, 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of the softened butter and the
nutmeg. Stir in 3 more cups flour; mix dough until smooth. Turn dough out
onto a lightly floured surface. Knead,
working in enough of remaining flour to make dough smooth and elastic.
Divide dough into halves; roll each portion into an oval, about 1/2quot
thick.
In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter; brush it over ovals.
In a small bowl, combine cinnamon with remaining 2 Tbsp granulated sugar;
sprinkle mixture over ovals. Fold ovals in half, lengthwise. Place them on
buttered baking sheet. Twist ends of each oval toward each other to form a
crescent. Loosely cover ovals with wax paper and a cloth towel. Let Stollen
rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until double in bulk.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake Stollen 45 minutes or until golden.
In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar with enough of the hot water
to make a thick icing. Dribble icing over hot Stollen; let Stollen cool
before slicing.
Makes 1 Stollen.
Christmas Stollen - 3
1/2 cup Raisins, dark or golden
1/4 cup Dried Apricots, chopped
1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Juice -or-Rum
1 pack (or 1 tablespoon) Active Dry -Yeast
1/3 cup Milk, heated to lukewarm-(105 to 110 degrees)
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Margarine
2 tabls Sugar
1/4 teas Salt
1/4 teas Almond Extract
1 teas Lemon Rind, grated
1 To 1-1/2 c Flour
1/2 cup Sliced Blanched Almonds
1/2 cup Low-Sugar Apricot Preserves
Combine the raisins, apricots and apple juice (or rum) in a bowl.
Let soak overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Combine the yeast, milk and the 1/2-cup of flour in a bowl. Mix
until smooth and the mixture looks like think mashed potatoes.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for
10 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
Meanwhile, cream the margarine, sugar, salt, almond extract and
lemon rind. Beat in the yeast mixture and 1-1/4 cups of the flour.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in
about 1/4 cup more flour, or until the dough is soft. Knead for
3 minutes.
Put in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise in
a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Once the dough has doubled, knead in the raisin mixture and
almonds. Knead until well mixed. Roll the dough into a rectangular
12- by 6-inch shape. Roll up jelly roll fashion. Place on a
lightly oiled baking sheet and let rise about 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool partially on a wire rack. Glaze the cool but not cold
stollen with the apricot preserves.
Serves 15
Stollen (Breadmaker)
1 1/4 cup Bread Flour
1/2 cup Whole-Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Oat Flour
1 1/2 teas Yeast
1/2 teas Sea Salt
3/4 teas Dried Lemon Rind -- grated
1/2 c (+ 2 Tabls) Pear Nectar-Or Apricot Nectar
3 tabls Egg Substitute-Or A Whole Egg
1 tabls Margarine Or Butter
1/4 cuip Golden Raisins
1/4 cup Currants Or Chopped Dates
1/4 cup Dried Apricots -- chopped
1/4 cup Almonds -- chopped
Put all ingredients except the fruits and almonds in the machine's
bread pan. Turn the machine on the RISE setting so that the machine
will mix, knead, and allow the dough to rise once. Add the fruits
and almonds after 12 mins, or when the machine signals.
After the dough has risen, turn it onto a floured surface. Shape it
into a 6 1/2 x 8-inch oval. With the side of your hand, crease the
oval down its length, just off center. Fold the smaller side over
the larger side. Place the loaf on a baking sheet coated with
cooking spray.
Cover the dough with a towel and let rise in a warm place until
doubled in size; about 1 hour. Brush the top lightly with egg white
glaze or skim milk. Bake at 350 F for about 30 mins, until the top
is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. This
recipe makes 16 slices.
1 OR 1-1/2 POUND LOAF
Sourdough German Stollen
1/3 cup Candied orange peel Finely chopped
1/2 cup Milk
2 cup Sourdough starter sponge *
1/2 cup Golden raisins
1/2 cup Seedless raisins
1/2 cup Currants
1/2 cup Slivered almonds
1/2 teas Salt
1 teas Almond flavoring
1 teas Grated lemon peel
5 cup All-purpose-flour, unsifted
1 Egg white, beat w/1 Tb water
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/3 cup Powdered sugar (more or less)
2 Eggs
* Take sourdough starter out of refrigerator the night before and mix with 2
cups water, 2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cover. Let set overnight.
Next morning put original amount of starter back in refrigerator and use the
rest for the stollen.
In small pan combine milk, butter and sugar. Place over medium heat and
bring mixture to scalding, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to
cool.
Beat the eggs into the cooled mixture; add this mixture to the 2 cups of
sourdough starter, beat until well blended.
Add salt, almond flavoring, lemon peel and 3 cups of the flour. Mix until
well blended. Stir in orange peel, raisins, currants and almonds. Add enough
flour to knead. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and
elastic, about 10 minutes. Turn dough over in a greased bowl. Cover and let
rise in a warm place until double in size. Punch dough down; divide in half.
On a lightly
greased baking sheet shape the dough, each half, into a 7x9-inch oval, about
1 inch thick. Brush the surface with some of the egg-white mixture, then
crease ovals and fold them lengthwise, but not all the way over leaving a 2
inch lap on bottom. Brush top with egg-white mixture. Cover and let rise
until double in size.
Bake in 375F oven for 40 minutes or until richly browned. Brush top with
melted butter and sift the powdered sugar over top.
Return Stollens to oven and bake 3 minutes longer to set sugar. Cool on wire
racks.
2 loaves
Christmas Stollen (Quick-Bread)
2 1/2 cup Flour (all-purpose)
2 teas Baking powder
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 teas Salt
1/2 teas Mace
8 x Cardomon seed pods, seeds Removed and crushed
3/4 cup Almonds, blanched, ground
1/2 cup Butter, soft
1 cup Cream cheese, softened
1 Lg Egg
1/2 teas Vanilla extract
1/2 teas Almond extract
2 tabls Brandy
1/2 cup Currants
1/2 cup Golden raisins
1/3 cup Candied lemon peel, chopped
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/4 cup Sugar, powdered
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder,
sugar, salt, mace, and crushed cardamon seeds. Stir in the ground almonds.
Cut in the soft butter until the mixture looks something like coarse sand.
In a blender, cream the egg with the cream cheese, vanilla, almond extract,
and brandy.
Pour it into a bowl and stir in the dried fruit. Gradually stir in the flour
mixture until everything is well blended. Work the dough into a ball and
turn it out on a lightly floured board. Knead it for a few minutes until it
is smooth, then place it in
the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. (You can store the dough in the
refrigerator for several days, then take it out to bake whenever you like.)
Shape the dough into a flat, oval loaf, about 10 inches long and eight
inches wide. With the blunt edge of a knife, crease the loaf about 1/2 inch
off center, down the length of it. Fold the smaller side of the creased loaf
over the wider side. Brush the top of the folded loaf with the melted
butter.
Place the stollen loaf on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 45
minutes, until it starts to turn brown on the outside. Remove and allow
cooling a little bit. Dust lightly with powdered (i.e., confectioner's)
sugar.
1 Serving
German Stollen
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Candied red cherries, halved
1/4 cup Currants
1/4 cup Candied citron, diced *
1/4 cup Rum
4 1/2 cups Flour, all-purpose
2 packs Yeast, active dry packages
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup Butter or margarine
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 teas Salt
2 Eggs
1 tabls Orange peel, finely shredded
2 teas Lemon peel, finely shredded
1/2 cup Almonds, blanched chopped Confectioners' glaze **
* Candied citron or citrus peel, diced.
** Confectioners' glaze or powdered sugar.
In a medium bowl combine raisins, cherries, currants, citron or
citrus peel, and rum. Set aside.
In a large mixer bowl combine 1-1/2 cups of the flour and yeast.
Heat milk, butter, sugar and salt over low heat, stirring constantly until
warm (120F to 130F).
Add to dry ingredients along with eggs and fruit peels. Beat at low speed
of electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping sides of bowl.
Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Stir in fruit-rum mixture, almonds and
enough of the remaining flour to make soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in enough of the
remaining flour to make moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (5
to 6 minutes). Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once.
Cover. Let rise until double (1 hour).
Punch dough down. Divide in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface roll each half to a 10x8-inch oval. Fold
lengthwise in half so the top half overlaps to within 1/2 inch of the bottom
half. Press folded edge firmly. Place about 4-inches apart on greased baking
sheet. Cover and let rise until double (45 minutes). Bake at 375F for 15 to
20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar
or spread with Confectioners' Glaze and decorate with candied cherries.
Makes 2 loaves.
CONFECTIONERS' GLAZE
Mix 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and 1-tablespoon milk. Add more milk, 1/2
teaspoon at a time, until spreading consistency.
2 servings
Mandelkätzchen (Almond Cookies) (Easy Spekulatius)
500 g Flour
½ Tsp Backing Powder
250 g Sugar
1 Tsp Cinnamon
60 g Ground Almonds
250 g Cold Butter
5-6 Table spoon Milk
1 Egg White
50 g Almond Slivers
Flour, Baking Powder, Sugar, Cinnamon, and Cold Butter, cute into small
pieces all placed on the counter in a pile. In the middle form a hole and
add Milk. Start Kneading. When you have firm mass place dough in a bowl
cover with a cheesecloth and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Pre Heat oven to 180 Celsius.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough
With a cookie cutter cut out desired shapes. You get the idea.
Place the cookies on a very lightly greased cookie sheet then brush the
cookies with the egg white. Then sprinkle the cookies with the Almond
slivers or create designs in the cookies with the Almond Slivers.
Place the cookies in the oven in the middle shelf and bake for 12 or 15
minutes or until golden brown. They bake fast so keep a watchful eye on
them.
Makes 80 Cookies