Gluhwein and Stollen – Two German Holiday Recipes

When the days get shorter and the temperatures are low, this is the time for Gluhwein and Stollen. These traditional German holiday items can be found on any Christmas market and especially during the Advent time. Find two recipes – one for making Glühwein and the other one is for Stollen which is a sweet bread with raisins, nuts and holiday spices. Aldi carries very good Made in Germany Stollen if you are not into baking or there’s no time anymore. Stollen needs to sit for a couple of weeks before serving. Happy Baking!

Ingredients Gluhwein (fast version)

2 liter red wine (not to dry)
sugar to taste
1 organic orange
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
2 star anise seeds

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Cooking Instructions Mulled Wine

– Warm the wine but don’t bring to a boil.
– Cut orange in slices, add to the wine with all other spices and sugar.
– Let sit for at least 30 min on very low heat.

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Ingredients Original Dresdner Stollen

1 kg flour (8 cups)
100 g fresh yeast or 2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 l milk
200 g sugar
450 g butter
zest of 1 lemon (organic)
1/2 tsp level cardamon and 1/2 level tsp mace
10 g salt
500 g raisins (organic, no sulfur)
150 g dried currants

150 g chopped candied orange peel (orangeat) and candied lemon peel (zitronat)
150 g chopped raw almonds
30 g chopped bitter almonds or some drops of bitter almond oil
100 g butter
100g coarse sugar
2 packets vanilla sugar – 1.0 oz – How to make Vanilla Sugar –
125 g powdered sugar

Baking Instructions Original Dresdner Stollen

– All ingredients have to have room temperature before you start baking.
–  Place flour into a baking bowl and make mold in the middle;
– Add the crumbled yeast with 2 tbsp sugar and some milk into the mold;
– With some flour whisk it so you get a “starter dough”
– Cover with a clean kitchen cloth and keep at a warm place for 40-50 minutes.

– Mix flour and Starter dough with remaining milk and sugar, warm butter, lemon zest, spices and salt.
– Mix really good until the dough peels away from the inside bowl walls.
– Boil water and scald raisins, dry them on kitchen cloth or paper.
– Add raisins, currants, candied orange and lemon peel and almonds to the dough.
– Knead everything thoroughly and form a ball.
– Cover again, let sit for 30-40 minutes, dough needs to rise significantly.

– Again knead the dough very thoroughly, let rise covered for another 30-40 minutes, then form it into a Stollen.
– Preheat oven to 190-200 degrees C (375-400 F).
– Grease a baking tray with butter, place Stollen on it.
– Bake for 70-90 minutes until the surface is golden brown. If the Stollen gets brown early cover it with aluminum foil or a sheet of greased parchment paper.
– When Stollen is done brush butter onto its surface.
– Sprinkle first with coarse sugar than with a mix of vanilla sugar and powdered sugar.

TIPS:
Let the stollen sit for at least 1 week – The best would be 3-4 weeks.
Keep the Stollen at a cool, dark and moist place. Wrap it into a linen cloth and keep it in a tin or wrapped with aluminum foil.
Will be good for up to 3 months.