German Christmas Stollen
German Christmas Stollen, or Christstollen, is a tradition that dates back to the 15th century. Originally, it was a bland cake made of only flour, water, oil, and yeast shaped in a way to symbolize the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes. It has since evolved into a sweet fruitcake-like treat and is now enjoyed by millions of people every holiday season.
So, what is stollen? It's a dry, crumbly, buttery yeast bread filled with almond paste, candied fruit, and rum soaked raisins then coated in confectioners' sugar. Karl learned this original Dresden recipe in his apprenticeship almost 60 years ago and has been making his stollen this way ever since.