A Taste Of Winter In Summer

After making the cake for Lyds birthday I was left with a remainder of marzipan kicking about that I wanted to do something with.  I really had no ideas; I'm not the biggest cake baker and nor am I the biggest marzipan fan.

So I asked my friends on Facebook what I should do with 200g of marzipan and Ben Frazer (who was also in the Bake Off this year) came up with the genius suggestion of stollen.  Not only is it something I had never tried (which therefore appealed) but its also a firm favourite of Tasha's!

After some searching of the Internet (and also of my cupboard) this was the recipe I stuck together.  Its strongly based on something by Delia, but tweaked based upon others I read and what ingredients were available to me.

350g bread flour
150g milk
50g caster sugar
10g dried yeast
2g salt
110g butter
1 egg
90g raisins (you could split this with sultanas or currants)
40g chopped dried apricots
25g glace cherries (quartered)
25g mixed candied peel
25g ground almonds
25g whole almonds
200g marzipan
a good glug of Sailor Jerry

Here's what ya do....

1) get your raisins and apricots in a bowl and give them a good glug of rum to soak in.  Let them soak for as long as you can.  I've since found a jar marked "boozy fruits '08 which I'll be using next time!
2) warm the milk, add a little of the caster sugar and the yeast.  Set aside and watch it form a foamy head
3) in a mixing bowl add 325g of the flour (notice that is not all of it), the milk from step 2, butter, remaining sugar, salt and egg (beaten).
4) mix it all together and then add the fruits and nuts. (don't add the surplus Sailor Jerry, this dough is wet enough as it is!)
5) knead it on your worktop for 5 mins, clean the mixing bowl, get the dough back in the bowl and cover with clingfilm.  Set it aside to double.  Don't rush these things, mine sat for 2 hours.
6) turn the dough back out onto your worktop and add the remaining 25g of flour.  Knock it back and give it a good knead for a few minutes.
7) push the dough out till its roughly the size of a magazine.  Roll out the marzipan until its roughly the width of your dough.  Place the marzipan at the top of your dough and roll up the dough, tightly wrapping your marzipan within your doughy goodness.
8) set the oven to 190 degrees, dust your baking tray and place your unbaked stollen into the middle.  Lightly oil some clingfilm (this stops it sticking to the dough) and cover the dough once more to double in size.
9) once doubled bake for 35 minutes. 

This will give you a great stollen, equally perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea.  As you can see I went with more of an afternoon tea focus with mine and mixed 110g icing sugar with a tablespoon (plus a squeeze) of lemon juice to make a sweet glaze.

Save this recipe, you'll want it when December arrives I promise you!