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Meggi
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Meggi
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Variations of Stollen
Children change everything. And although the organizational issues are a piece of cake compared to the upheaval in emotional life, it cannot be denied that literally all familiar routines are turned upside down outside of the inner circle. So why should the Culinaria be spared? My wife and I used to cook and bake together frequently before the children came along. That completely ended. Baking together naturally returned at some point, first as a trio and later as a quartet; but only after a few years' break. "Nice cooking" has not yet returned to this day. But we are close!
There is just one thing, a single thing, that I have stuck to all these years: I bake stollen at Christmas.
My standard recipe is without festive spices, containing nuts, almonds, raisins, currants, and candied fruit. However, I have also tried other variations with spiced ingredients. Mogadess is the olfactory counterpart to such baking. In two ways, I mean not only the nose-catching and repeatedly mentioned abundance of Christmas-like aromas. The scent is also somewhat overwhelming in its aromatic density, especially directly on the skin.
And "overwhelming" is the right keyword. Baking stollen is real work and absolutely nothing that can be done on the side. One should definitely plan for a long afternoon. In the morning, the first thing to do is take the butter out of the fridge so it becomes really soft. I even melt it to make kneading easier. It is added to a well-risen pre-dough made from lukewarm water, flour, and yeast. Two eggs and surprisingly little sugar are added, as the fruits provide plenty of sweetness. Flour is mixed in and kneaded until a compact dough is formed.
When comparing the size of the raw dough ball with the amount of stuff that needs to be worked in, one wonders if there is a mistake regarding the proportions. But that is not the case - it all has to go in there. By the way, nowadays, it's dad who kneads while the kids shovel in the designated contents by the spoonful. The indispensable salt (a generous portion - 15 grams per kilo of flour!) is stirred in with the fruits, so as to irritate the yeast as late as possible. Knead, press, roll. And suddenly, it is unbelievably done.
The finished shaped pieces of dough need to rise for a long time before they are baked in the oven under careful monitoring of temperature and time. It is always evening by the time the stollen are finally cooled and can be packed - dusted with powdered sugar. Whether spices are mixed into this heap of nuts and fruits makes no difference in terms of effort, but it certainly changes the character of the baked goods thoroughly.
Mogadess now comes to me after a brief spiced cake introduction (which is also not far from the topic) like an ingredient experimentation kit for stollen bakers. Orange - in various forms: pure, candied, as orangeade. And plenty of spices. Cinnamon leads the way. And cinnamon. Also cinnamon. And other ingredients in no less overwhelming abundance. Cocoa, cardamom, vanilla. Did all that have to go in? Just stay calm, we can manage that. Somehow.
It actually comes together. And not only that; surprisingly, Mogadess maintains the balance of baked goods despite the undeniable sweetness: Firstly, the spices and fruits are by no means just sweet, but also show their bitter side, secondly, a kind of residual fruity orange and the prickliness from the cinnamon serve as a scent anchor throughout. Thus, the scent remains far from that mushiness with which, for example, the not exactly inexpensive Oriental dessert buffet "Noir Extreme" by Tom Ford punishes even the most well-meaning gourmand friend. This is not an isolated case, so the ability to maintain the tolerable here should be highlighted very positively.
And what drink goes with it? Of course, punch. Children's punch, of course, we all drink from it. From the beginning, I have occasionally noticed such things when fresh fruit occasionally pushes itself more clearly to the surface beside the spices.
In the afternoon, the woody-spicy components gradually dominate. This then expands the idea of Christmas baking to the general field of Christmas scents. However, if it must remain edible, a fruit bread would be the most suitable.
Conclusion: Did I mention the cinnamon?
I thank Gerdi for the sample.
There is just one thing, a single thing, that I have stuck to all these years: I bake stollen at Christmas.
My standard recipe is without festive spices, containing nuts, almonds, raisins, currants, and candied fruit. However, I have also tried other variations with spiced ingredients. Mogadess is the olfactory counterpart to such baking. In two ways, I mean not only the nose-catching and repeatedly mentioned abundance of Christmas-like aromas. The scent is also somewhat overwhelming in its aromatic density, especially directly on the skin.
And "overwhelming" is the right keyword. Baking stollen is real work and absolutely nothing that can be done on the side. One should definitely plan for a long afternoon. In the morning, the first thing to do is take the butter out of the fridge so it becomes really soft. I even melt it to make kneading easier. It is added to a well-risen pre-dough made from lukewarm water, flour, and yeast. Two eggs and surprisingly little sugar are added, as the fruits provide plenty of sweetness. Flour is mixed in and kneaded until a compact dough is formed.
When comparing the size of the raw dough ball with the amount of stuff that needs to be worked in, one wonders if there is a mistake regarding the proportions. But that is not the case - it all has to go in there. By the way, nowadays, it's dad who kneads while the kids shovel in the designated contents by the spoonful. The indispensable salt (a generous portion - 15 grams per kilo of flour!) is stirred in with the fruits, so as to irritate the yeast as late as possible. Knead, press, roll. And suddenly, it is unbelievably done.
The finished shaped pieces of dough need to rise for a long time before they are baked in the oven under careful monitoring of temperature and time. It is always evening by the time the stollen are finally cooled and can be packed - dusted with powdered sugar. Whether spices are mixed into this heap of nuts and fruits makes no difference in terms of effort, but it certainly changes the character of the baked goods thoroughly.
Mogadess now comes to me after a brief spiced cake introduction (which is also not far from the topic) like an ingredient experimentation kit for stollen bakers. Orange - in various forms: pure, candied, as orangeade. And plenty of spices. Cinnamon leads the way. And cinnamon. Also cinnamon. And other ingredients in no less overwhelming abundance. Cocoa, cardamom, vanilla. Did all that have to go in? Just stay calm, we can manage that. Somehow.
It actually comes together. And not only that; surprisingly, Mogadess maintains the balance of baked goods despite the undeniable sweetness: Firstly, the spices and fruits are by no means just sweet, but also show their bitter side, secondly, a kind of residual fruity orange and the prickliness from the cinnamon serve as a scent anchor throughout. Thus, the scent remains far from that mushiness with which, for example, the not exactly inexpensive Oriental dessert buffet "Noir Extreme" by Tom Ford punishes even the most well-meaning gourmand friend. This is not an isolated case, so the ability to maintain the tolerable here should be highlighted very positively.
And what drink goes with it? Of course, punch. Children's punch, of course, we all drink from it. From the beginning, I have occasionally noticed such things when fresh fruit occasionally pushes itself more clearly to the surface beside the spices.
In the afternoon, the woody-spicy components gradually dominate. This then expands the idea of Christmas baking to the general field of Christmas scents. However, if it must remain edible, a fruit bread would be the most suitable.
Conclusion: Did I mention the cinnamon?
I thank Gerdi for the sample.
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