Recipe(tried): Weihnachtsstollen (Christmas Stollen)

This is an autentic recipe for Christmas in Austria, it also serves as a recipe for the military men, which was looked for a little while ago in TKL, as it has to be made ahead and packs also well.

Recipe for 2 Stollen:

0.3 litre milk
2 Pkg fresh yeast (1 pkg = 42 grams)
1 kilogram (= 2pounds)flour
350 grams Butter (not margarine, tastes a lot better with butter, dont care for the calories, in this recipe it is no use anyway)
4 egg yolks
90 grams sugar
2 Tblsp. vanilla
peel of 1 lemon
little salt and cardamon

Fruit:
300 g raisins
150 grams dried lemons
150 grams dried orange
80 grams almonds, chopped slightly
2 Tablespoons dark Rum

for topping:
200 grams butter (again, Butter!!!)
250 grams sugar
little vanilla

warm milk a little (ca. 35 degree celcius), put in a bowl, and dissolve yeast in it. A little from the flour comes to it, stir to a thick mass, put a little flour on it, and let rise at a warm place, until is much bigger and has little slices in it. (takes about 1/2 hour)

Wash raisins, and dry. Cut lemons, oranges in tiny cubes, and mix togehter raisins, dried fruit, rum and almonds.

Melt butter. Mix together yolks, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon peel, salt a little cardamon and cinamon very well with blender.

Stir in rest of flour little by litty in prepared yeast mixture and make firm dough. Cover, let rise at warm place for 3/4 hours. Push dough again a little and work in fruits . Make two balls, roll out, sides a little thicker and form two STOLLEN.( are long loafes, typical form, like large breads, cannot discribe it properly, but does not make any difference in taste)

put baking paper on oven rack, put loafes on it, cover, let rise again for 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 150 degrees celcius, bake in the middle of the oven for about 55 minutes.

Pull out of oven and toss warm loafes with hot butter two to three times.
(be generous with the butter here). Mix sugar and vanilla, and cover stollen with it, let cool. Toss with dusted sugar, and pack in plasicfoil and aluminium foil, has to rest at least 2 weeks, best in about 3-4 weeks.

Enjoy, this is really delicious
Regards Martina