Christmas Stollen

1. For the marzipan filling: mix the ingredients together and let sit overnight in a covered bowl.
2. Steep the currents, candied lemon peel and nuts in rum or honey schnapps for 1 hour.
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Form a depression in the centre and crumble the yeast into it, sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the yeast and sprinkle salt over the top of the flour.
4. Pour 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm milk over the yeast. Let the mixture rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
5. Melt the butter in the rest of the lukewarm milk, add to the yeast.
6. With dough hooks, knead the dough from the inside out to make a nice-looking yeast dough, let rise again until doubled in volume.
7. On a floured surface, knead the dough with your hands, working in the currants and nuts at the same time.
8. Divide the dough into two portions, roll out flat, and spread the marzipan mixture over them. Form into stollen shapes and let rise in the oven at 30°C. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 180°C.
9. Remove from the oven and brush on melted butter with a pastry brush. Let cool, then sprinkle with icing sugar. Will keep for about a month.

Recipe : Berthe Elsen-Melkert