Breakfast Stollen Slice

 

One of the things I really enjoy during the holiday season is Stollen.  I adore marzipan and dried fruits, and a bread which combines the two of them is somewhat of a delight, that is more often than not done really badly.  More's the pity.

 

This delightful bake I am showing you today is a rif on the flavours and best bits of a traditional stollen without all of the faffing about of the original.

 

This is quick, simple and delicious! 

 

It begins with a scone type of dough, made with butter and buttermilk, that you pat out to a rectangle.  A mix of brandy/rum soaked dried fruits and nuts gets sprinkled over top of that . . .

 

This gets rolled around a long "sausage" of marzipan, almost like a cinnamon roll.  I use the golden marzipan because I like it.  You can use ready-made or homemade. Its your choice.

 

Once you have the roll,  you simply cut it into twelve even slices  . . .

 

Place the rounds on a baking paper lined baking tray . . .  slightly overlapping in a circle shape . . .

 

And bake until it is nicely puffed and golden brown! 

 

A simple glaze of warm sieved apricot jam and brandy/rum is brushed over the warm loaf which makes it glisten and shine  . . . like a fruit and almond filled jewel!

 

I also like to pretty it up with a dusting of icing sugar for serving.  You separate the rounds and serve to your most appreciative family and friends.  This is a delight to wake up to on Christmas morning!

 

*Breakfast Stollen Slice*

Makes 12 slices

Printable Recipe 

 

A delicious adaptation of the ever popular Christmas Stollen bread. This is a lot easier, and very, very nice.  Perfect for a holiday brunch or breakfast! 

For the dough:
280ml  of buttermilk (1 1/3 cups)
420g plain flour (3 cups)
1 TBS caster sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
120g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small bits (1/2 cup) 

For the filling:

25g mixed candied peel (1/4 cup)

50g pistachio nuts, chopped (1/3 cup)

50g dried cranberries (1/3 cup)

50g raisins (1/3 cup)

1 TBS brandy or rum

225g marzipan (store bought or homemade) (1/2 pound) 

To glaze:

2 TBS apricot jam

1 TBS brandy or rum

Icing sugar to dust (optional)

 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a large baking sheet with grease proof baking paper.  Set aside. 

To make the filling, combine all of the dried fruits and pistachios in a bowl with the brandy and then set aside. 

To make the dough, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt together in a large bowl.  Drop in the butter.   Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, or two round bladed knives, until the mixture resembles very coarse meal.  Some bits can be pea sized.   You don't want the butter to be too finely but in.   The larger bits are what help make these so flaky. 

Make a well in the middle of the dry/fat mixture.  Add the buttermilk all at once.  Stir together with a fork, just to combine.   Tip out onto a lightly floured board.  Knead a couple of times to help bring the dough together and then lightly pat it out about to a large rectangle about 1/2 inch in thickness.  Spread the fruit mixture over the dough to within about 1/2-inch of the edge.   

Take your marzipan and shake it into a long sausage, the length of the longest edge of the rectangle of dough. Lay this sausage down along the pastry's length about 1 inch in from the edge.  Begin from that edge and roll the dough up around the marzipan and continue until you have a long, fairly tight sausage of dough.  Trim off the ends.  Cut the sausage into 12 equal slices.   

Lay the slices in a ring on the prepared baking sheet, slightly overlapping the slices.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until well risen with a nicely golden brown crust.   

While the rolls are baking heat the apricot jam and brandy in a small pan, letting it bubble up a bit for about a minute. Push through a seive.  Brush this glaze while the rolls are still warm. Dust lightly with icing sugar, if using. Cut or break the rolls apart to serve.  Best served on the day.

 

These sweet slices are so delicious and would make a fabulous Christmas morning goodie to enjoy with a hot drink. If you wanted to you could do all the prep of the filling the night before and mix together all the dry ingredients for the dough, only adding the wet first thing in the morning and proceeding. They go together really quickly after that!  Happy Holidays!