CHRISTMAS STOLLEN (QUICK-BREAD VARIETY)

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN (QUICK-BREAD VARIETY)
Categories: Holiday, Breads, Cake/cookie
Buy Groceries Online Yield: 1 servings

2 1/2 c Flour (all-purpose) 1 lg Egg
2 ts Baking powder 1/2 ts Vanilla extract
3/4 c Sugar 1/2 ts Almond extract
1/2 ts Salt 2 tb Brandy
1/2 ts Mace 1/2 c Currants
8 x Cardomon seed pods, seeds 1/2 c Golden raisins
Removed and crushed 1/3 c Candied lemon peel, chopped
3/4 c Almonds, blanched, ground 1/4 c Butter, melted
1/2 c Butter, soft 1/4 c Sugar, powdered
1 c Cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder,
sugar, salt, mace, and crushed cardamon seeds. Stir in the ground
almonds. Cut in the soft butter until the mixture looks something
like coarse sand. In a blender, cream the egg with the cream cheese,
vanilla, almond extract, and brandy. Pour it into a bowl and stir in
the dried fruit. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until everything
is is well blended. Work the dough into a ball and turn it out on a
lightly floured board. Knead it for a few minutes until it is smooth,
then place it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. (You can
store the dough in the refrigerator for several days, then take it
out to bake when ever you like.) Shape the dough into a flat, oval
loaf, about 10 inches long and eight inches wide. With the blunt edge
of a knife, crease the loaf about 1/2 inch off center, down the
length of it. Fold the smaller side of the creased loaf over the
wider side. Brush the top of the folded loaf with the melted butter.
Place the stollen loaf on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for
about 45 minutes, until it starts to turn brown on the outside.
Remove and allow to cool a little bit. Dust lightly with powdered
(i.e., confectioner's) sugar.