It’s easy when busy to take things for granted but this year has been a year of fantasy. I have no idea what the next few years will hold so I want to remember this feeling of excitement and anticipation of things to come. I do appreciate every lesson that I’ve learnt and everyone that has taken the time to leave me a comment, to write me an email or sit down with me. Christmas is a good time to contemplate such things in the absence of Thanksgiving traditions.
Every year I learn things. Take for example last year when I went to Austria I discovered stollen. Now my experience with stollen up until them had been unremarkable. Stollen was something that sat on a supermarket shelf and tasted like stale fruit bread with icing. Then I visited Austria where stollen were made fresh and it was a revelation. I was then served stollen in Dubai at the Burj Al Arab’s 7 star afternoon tea and was blown away. Now that is stollen I thought to myself. Freshly baked fruit bread with a delicious icing top, surprise marzipan filling and served in thin slices.
The delicious marzipan centre
I hesitate to tell you that this is the best stollen recipe but I have to say that in my humble opinion it is one of the nicest stollen that I have tried (and I managed to try quite a few on my Austria trip). I loved the combination of the cherries, almonds and coconut to give it a different flavour from a regular stollen but of course use any dried fruit you like-cranberries, dried blueberries etc would be just as laudable. And yes I doubled the amount of fruit that is normally used in a stollen. It’s the Franck Eggelhoffer in me 
I’ll pass on a tasty tidbit here too-home made marzipan is fabulous stuff. Ignore much of the bought stuff that tastes like almond essence and mix up your own. It’s very easy to do and absolutely worth the five minutes it takes to make and when you slice a thin slice of this and come across the sweet almond centre everything seems to make sense. And even though I know that our Christmas will be held during Summer, I’ll serve these with a lovely Gluwein. I’ll just crank up the air conditioning
The bus side-minus appendage!
And Melbourne lovelies, I am taking a little trip to Melbourne this Friday to launch the new Cornetto Endless Summer campaign that I’m starring in. If you’re near Federation Square between 3-7pm this Friday the 17th of December come down and say hello and get a free Cornetto! I haven’t yet seen the bus sides in person but the lovely Gianna from The Empty Fridge sent me some shots that she took of a bus side with the ad on it. I remember the Sex and the City episode where Carrie came across the bus side of her with a spray painted male appendage. Thankfully these are appendage free-haha!
So tell me Dear Reader, what have you learned this past year?
Cherry, Almond & Coconut Christmas Stollen
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 1/2 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
- 4 cups bread flour (plus perhaps 3-4 tablespoons if mixture is too wet. I used Barilla bread flour)
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 flaked almonds
- 2 cups mixed fruit
- 1/4 cup glace cherries
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
- 100g/3.5ozs butter, melted
- 4 tablespoons rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 1 egg
To fill
- 250g marzipan* (home made is best, recipe to follow)
For icing
- 1 egg white
- 250g pure icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons desiccated coconut
1. Firstly make the marzipan if you are using a home made marzipan (see recipe below).
2. Place the sugar, yeast, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, almonds, mixed fruit, cherries and lemon rind in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix for about 30 seconds with the dough hook. Place warm milk, salt, melted butter, rum, vanilla and egg in a measuring jug and whisk the egg. Set the dough hook on the lowest speed and gradually pour in the milky and eggy mixture. Knead for about 5 minutes until elastic. Add extra flour if mixture is too sticky.
3. Place in a greased bowl and cover with cling wrap and place in a warm spot in the kitchen for about an hour while it rises. If you don’t have a warm place, sit the bowl within another bowl and fill with warm to hot water changing the water every 30 minutes.
4. Line a baking tray with parchment. Punch down the risen dough and spread it into a rectangle as shown. Take the marzipan and shape it into a long log and place it at the edge lengthways as shown and roll up the bread dough. Allow to rise in a warm area (on a 35C oven with the fan off will do if it is chilly).
5. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (if you are rising the dough in the oven above, take out your stollen while the oven is preheating!). Bake the stollen for 20 minutes and then reduce the temperature to180C/350F and bake it for another 20 minutes. If you tap it lightly and it sounds hollow, it is done. Allow to cool.
6. Making the icing. In a large bowl, whisk the icing sugar, egg white and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle on top of the stollen trying to coat it as much as possible. Then immediately sprinkle coconut on top and allow to set. Serve sliced into thin pieces.
Marzipan:
- 100grams/3.5 ozs almond meal
- 100gram/3.5 ozs pure icing sugar, sifted
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
7. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until cohesive. I usually make a double batch of this and use an electric mixer but you can make it in these quantities by hand.
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75 Comments | Add your own
That stollen is splendid! I really like your choice of ingredients. The marzipan version is my favorite. Perfect with a good cup of tea.
Cheers,
Rosa
Looks delicious! Great recipe for the festive season..
That stollen looks DELICIOUS, mmmm marzipan center! Congrats on the ad campaign too…I wish it was endless summer here!
I absolutely adore stollen, and it’s very happily sitting on my to do list. Marzipan is an added bonus in it, as marzipan truly is food of the gods!
What have I learnt this year? That blogland is really a marvelous place to be.
Great recipe. Will try this next week when on holidays! Sounds like you’ve had a truly amazing year Lorraine. More great things to come next year I for see. I’ve learned a lot this year. The value of a loving family, the importance of getting work and mummy commitments right and of letting go and just being yourself with those you love. Merry Christmas Lorraine!
I am not a huge marzipan fan – but this does look lovely, and perhaps even worth a try??
What have I learned this year?
To have confidence in myself, and to stop thinking about doing something, and just do it!
That I can put myself out there – and that it doesn’t kill you to make fun of yourself!
What a coincidence – I made stollen yesterday. I haven’t cut into mine yet, I hope it’s as nice as this!
I have never tried stollen – but it looks delightful!
you have reawakened two aims in my life – to make stollen and home made marzipan – fantastic – I learnt to love stollen and gluhwein at the german markets in Edinburgh and now have a yen for a serve – do you think you could bring some to fed square – ha ha (I doubt I could get there but would love to come and say hi)
I think I can safely say that this is the most beautiful stollen I’ve ever seen! That marzipan filling is such a fantastic addition. Once again we are on the same wavelength, Lorraine — I just made homemade marzipan for the first time today! (Your recipe looks better though…wish I had seen it before I made mine, lol!)
this looks amazing..i have been thinking about making stollen ..it is my fav thing this time of the year. thank you for sharing this.. hope you have a nice day.
Gorgeous! And I can’t wait to see the bus side! I saw the ad for the first time last night on FB – you look fab!!
The stollen looks great – must put that on my list for next year
xxx
You’re on a bus! Wooo! The stollen looks beautiful by the way. I’ve never made one even though I’m intrigued by them.
I learned that marzipan is simple to make. No more $10 tubes from the supermarket!
Ooooh, I LOVE stollen. Mum is German so we grew up with this stuff and marzipan, and I agree you have to find the right stollen to get it moist rather than gum-smackingly dry. There is a great place in the Blue Mountains (Wentworth Falls) called Schwartz bakery which makes delicious stollen.
I am going to make this for sure this Christmas.
What did I learn this year? That dreams can come true, but they rarely come without sacrifice. I’ve lived working in the Caribbean for mind-blowing organisations, but I’ve had to sacrifice precious time with my beautiful puppies to do so.
Ok – I am so making this for Christmas. YUM. I LOVE Marzipan, and christmasy cakes and stollen.
Excited about the Cornetto campaign (even though I work for the competition!) Its awesome for you!
YAY!
Your stollen is perfect, Lorraine! I’d probably have mine without marzipan though
Your stollen looks superb. I made on recently but didn’t like it much – but it didn’t have marzipan in the middle
I have learned a lot this year – too many things to write here.
Shame I won’t be in Melb when you are. Have fun launching the Cornetto campaign.
Gorgeous! I will have to try making my own marzipan for my next stollen. Funny, I always double the dried fruit in recipes too! There is so much I am thankful for this year. You deserve everything coming your way, hard work has paid off
Lorraine,
So when is the Sydney launch – do you know?
Oh Wow…. ‘stollen’ is one of my faves & this recipe looks tremendous, must try in fact. Congratulations on a fabulous year lovely Lorraine
This year I’m grateful & happy to have learned to ‘just do it’…., & don’t overthink it. Best year yet.
Stollen and gingerbread houses spell Christmas to me. xo
hi Lorraine,
Thanks for this recipe, it looks marvellous and I’m super-keen to give it a try. I just have two questions:
Is it 1/2 cup flaked almonds (the recipe is missing ‘cup’)
In instruction no 2 you mention warm milk, but this isn’t in the ingredients list. How much warm milk is it?
Sorry to be pendantic, but I really want to give this a go for a morning tea I’m holding for Pre-school mums later this week!
Cheers,
Emma
Thanks for sharing this original recipe,
Is a VERY special one for me!
ALWAYS had this on Christmas eve, TRUE!
Then another one, next morning too!
Mum unexpectedly recently passed away,
Enjoying this fruit stollen will remind me to appreciate everything and everyone that comes my way!
THANKS!
Lorraine that looks amazing! I have been trying to make some cakes/breads this year but we are so busy making cookies! Wish I was in Melbourne to come visit…much love to you my friend!
My Mum makes the most amazing Christmas Stollen – she uses a walnut paste in the middle instead of marzipan and for the icing just uses icing sugar, butter and water and a little lemon juice. I am going to try and make a gluten free version this Christmas.
When will us Sydneysiders get to meet you!?
I am so excited by the marzipan recipe! I’ve looked up marzipan before but the recipes were always complicated, involving cooking sugar and the like. I had no idea there was such an easy version!
And while this year might’ve been your fantasy year, next year will be ours, when we get to read your book!
Lorraine, u look great in that pic. I have to see the ad on FB tonite.
Do you think the bus will stop at Sydney anytime soon?
Happy Holiday!!!
Thanks for the marzipan recipe, the one from the shop always tastes artificial to me.
This year I have learned how to blog and slightly overcome my technopobia. I still can’t figure out itunes, but I can send an email, and put up a post. I did accidently delete my homepage once, but after 3 hrs and lots of tears, my husband restored it and I went ot bed with a migraine. Maybe this coming year I will learn how to add extra pages and add ons. Any tips?
Your stollen looks fabulous. With my boyfriend being of German heritage I’ve offered to make him Stollen a few times (I’ve never had it) but he’s said no each time because he doesn’t like it much. I wonder if his experience is similar to yours in that it’s always been a stale fruit bread version. I might have to remedy that
beautifully done!
Goodness – I have stollen dough rising as I type! The house smells amazing – can’t wait to try a slice!
Love the ad – I’d be grinning, too, if I heard the words ‘Free ice-cream’!
xxx
I’ve not had stollen before, but it looks wonderful with all the fruits used and I like your use of cherries, almonds and coconut.
It looks like a festive bread and the icing on top is just lovely!
I’ve seen them around but never knew what they were called. They look great and very Christmassy, I’ll have to give this recipe a try.
Fabulous! Thanks for the recipe.
I was looking for a nice recipe just last night!! and Wow!!!! heres just what i was looking for!!! Going to make it for sure!! from a warm rainy SOUTH AFRICA!!!
I learnt how the art of conversing with others. Through trial and error
I have never tried Stollen but I am making one next weekend! Will surely add the marzipan in it..yum!
That is the most festive looking stollen ever. I love the hidden center of marzipan, too. But then I love all things almond-related. YUM!
Very festive! It has all my mum’s favourites!
I am amazed that marzipan is so easy to make. I love home made german stollen, I will have to try this recipe.
Argh, it looks like a lovely fruit bun, but I personally am not convinced that Stollen is the right name for it… just my 2 cents worth, as a fruit bun I’d eat a LOT of it.
BTW… its not christmas without a Stollen made to a traditional German recipe, but I guess it all depends a bit on what you’re used to.
Cheers and Merry Christmas everyone
The major lesson of this year was as a result of nearly dying on the October long weekend due to ischemic colitis and then spending 5 weeks in hospital and requiring further surgery in 2011: Appreciate every moment, take time to enjoy yourself, spend time with your loved ones – as you just don’t know what’s around the corner!
Oh so many things but the best I think is to relax a bit and not worry about the little things. Must try the home made marzipan really don’t care for shop bought.
What a beautiful stollen! Awesome job daaaaaahling. It looks so festive.
What have I learned this year? I must always keep an eye on my MR P, he gets up to way too much trouble when I’m not looking.
*kisses* HH
Definitely learn a new thing today – STollen? Have not had it before. Enjoy your time in Melb… I might bump into you. Will be at Fed Square around the same time with colleagues!
Looks fab!!
I am so going to make this with the home made marzipan. I absolutely HATE almond essence, but this recipe sounds great. Thanks!
Can’t wait to try out this recipe, it looks fantastic! I’ve learnt to take things one day at a time this year, it works!
Congratulations Lorraine!
It was only a matter of time till someone snapped you up to put infront of the camera! Look out Curtis Stone!!!
This years lesson: One event can change an entire life planned…
Wow, such a gorgeous Xmas dessert, Lorraine! Definitely reminds me of winter Christmas Eve dinners back home
PS: have fun in Melbourne launching the Cornetto ad, hope you get a lot of love from Melbourne foodies!
Lorraine, I agree about making your own marzipan. Sometimes store-bought food can ruin a good thing. This reminds a little bit of panetone, my favorite sweet bread at Christmas. Have a great time Friday. We are ffffffreeeezing here in Nashville, having an unusual white christmas.
Stollen is more Christmas to me than things like gingerbread men and gingercake. This is beautiful. I was just thinking I should try my hand at stollen
Thanks for the recipe
I have copied this recipe… I never use marzipan because I hate the phony tasting almond flavor… I find it just nasty. Perhaps if I try this recipe and make it my own it will be a revelation and I will make all the marzipan dishes I have eschewed lo these many years??? Great recipe, Lorraine… I do love the cherries in the cake. How funny your CHristmas is in bathing suits… hard for us Northern-Northern Hemisphere folks to process!
Ooo the stollen looks great, maybe I should try to make it and get some browny points with the bf’s mum while she’s in Melbourne
Yayy you’ll be in Melbourne soon! I’ll try to go to Fed Square and say hi
but I live kinda far so not sure if I’ll get there i time with the traffic and all…good luck and have fun anyway 
Today alone I have seen recipes for panettone from Italy (by Diary of a Ladybird), panforte from Italy (by Wednesday Chef) and now stollen on your blog. I am impressed by all of you. To be truthful I am not a stollen lover but yours looks moist and fresh (unlike the dry stuff you mentioned before and that put me off in the first place) and I love that you made marzipan. That is my favorite part.
How exciting that you are on a bus! And the stollen looks delicious.
Your Christmas stollen with the home made marzipan looks amazing, wonderful to give or get as a great food gift!
MMMMMMMM,..I love your original tasty flavours in here!!
Awesome & fabulously food!
Kisses from Brussels to you!
Lorraine, It’s so beautiful! I’d love to have a slice and taste the almond flavor of the marzipan. It’s such a festive looking treat!
stollen is so fun–i love surprises, and the goodness in the middle of this loaf definitely counts as such!
What a lovely post. I wish I could come see you (& nab a free cornetto!) on Friday but I have a full day of clients
Have fun!! SO exciting about the bus, very sex & the city (thankfully minus the art work hehe).
This stollen looks beautiful! 5 years ago I was in Austria during winter, but I never had any stollen! What a shame.
This year I have learnt to rest when I need too!
Heidi xo
Lorraine what a lovely Stollen, I was going to make Jamaican Christmas cake for our family Christmas lunch but I think that the marzipan filling has won me over. Can you please tell me where you source the Barilla farina?
This year I’ve learnt two important things:
1. that good health is most important
2. there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that I want to achieve
A stollen has never looked prettier. Love the addition of coconut. xoxo Mum
That looks perfect! So delicious
This looks delicious and very festive!
Love the bus pic! This year I have learnt to try new things (mostly food!)
I will send Moo down to give you a hug from me
What have I learned? Never EVER say ‘things could be worse’
Heh.
Cheery little chick aren’t I?
HI Lorraine,
I made this stollen yesterday! I made a double quantity of marzipan first (and proceeded to snack on the spare lot all day O:). I don’t like glace cherries so instead I used dried cranberries but everything worked beautifully and it was fun to make. As someone said before, you must have left out the quantity of milk so I guessed at 1 cup and that was ok – I had to add a bit of extra flour while it was kneading to get the right consistency. Anyway, I decided to freeze it in 2 halves because it makes quite a big log and it was wonderful to cut it open and see all the fruit and the core of marzipan. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
hey lorraine!
congratulations once again – have you spotted the bus yet. I have been seeing it EVERYWHERE in the city 
I am so glad that you got the photos
I have learned alot this year, just starting my blog was a big learning curve in itself, but the most important lesson would be to double check that you have your wallet with you before you leave your hotel in a different country… or else you will be holding up the crowd in tokyo’s busiest station, only to have to go back to the hotel and miss your flight. not that its ever happened to me hehe
Wow I nevet thought stollen could look tempting, or make me want to grad it!
Oh heavens Lorraine, I’ve learnt a lot this past year. I think the best thing would be that I can indeed make amazing, beautiful ‘real life’ friends from those I’ve met through the magic of the internet. So many fabulous new friends this year, I just wish I had more time to spend with everyone.
I have never even had stollen before, but those pictures make me really want to try it! How cool having your photo on the side of a bus as well!
I love your photos and recipes. I am making the stollen tomorrow! One thing I wonder if you could do…I always get confused between British and Austrailian measurments? Is there a website that clarifies this????
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