Easiest Stollen

By deanarrca

This baking powder version of a classic yeasted holiday favorite (a.k.a. The I-Don't-Have-Time-To-Make-Stollen Stollen) is quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. The recipe combines dried fruits and toasted almonds in a tender, buttery dough, with a blizzard-like coating of confectioners' sugar. Even better it makes two loaves: one to enjoy, one to wrap and give away.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt*
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) cold butter
• 1 cup ricotta cheese, part-skim milk type
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor, optional but good
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil or 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia
• 1 cup dried fruit blend; or 1/2 cup golden raisins + 1/2 cup of your favorite dried fruits, chopped to 1/2" pieces if necessary
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted and cooled
• *Reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon if you use salted butter
• Topping
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from kingarthurflour.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions
1) Preheat your oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.

2) Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

3) Cut the cold butter into small chunks, then blend it into the flour mixture to form uneven crumbs.

4) In a separate bowl, mix together the cheese, egg, vanilla, and flavors.

5) Toss the fruit and almonds with the flour mixture until evenly distributed. Then combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing until most of the flour is moistened.

6) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead it two or three times, until it holds together. Divide it in half.

7) Roll each piece of dough into an 8" x 7" oval about 1/2" thick.

8) Fold each piece of dough roughly in half, leaving the edge of the top half about 1/2" short of the edge of the bottom half. Should you fold the long way, or the short way? The long way will give you a longer, narrower stollen, with shorter slices; folding the short way will give you a wider, fatter stollen, with longer slices.

9) Use the edge of your hand to press the dough to seal about 1" in back of the open edge; this will make the traditional stollen shape. It's also the familiar Parker House roll shape, if you've ever made them.

10) Place the shaped stollen on the prepared baking sheet.

11) Bake the stollen till they're very lightly browned around the edges, about 40 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean.

12) Remove the stollen from the oven, and transfer to a rack. Brush them each with 2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle heavily with confectioners' sugar.

13) Allow the stollen to cool, then brush with butter again, and sprinkle with sugar again. Wrap in plastic wrap till ready to serve. Plastic-wrapped stollen will keep well for 2 weeks or so at room temperature