Stollen

Day 62: To be perfectly honest, I think one of the main reasons I enjoy the Yule season is because it gives me an excuse to bake even more than usual, letting me trot out the recipes for specialty breads and cookies that I don't make at any other time of year. A good example of this is stollen, a sweet breakfast loaf with German origins, with raisins, candied fruit and almond slivers studding each and every slice. It can be eaten plain or buttered (the dough is already butter-rich), and may be served warm or cold. It freezes well, so it can be made weeks in advance to give as presents to special friends. Years ago, I was on the receiving end annually, thanks to a neighbour who shared my sentiments on breads as gifts. She is no longer with us, though, and my recipe is different from hers. In fact, I follow the one in "Joy of Cooking" with two notable exceptions: I soak the raisins in brandy overnight (or longer), and I use loaf pans which increase the cooking time by 10 minutes (roughly). One final note: I hear people ask, "Why is it called 'stollen?' Is it Russian?" After asking a couple of individuals why they would make that supposition, I determined that they assumed it was named after Stalin. No, stollen is German, and specifically a Christmas bread. It is similar to the Russian Easter bread called kulich, but minus the saffron and not as labour-intensive. Spelling matters.