Stollen

• 50g Dried Cranberries
• 50g Sultanas
• 25g Candied Peel, chopped
• 3 tbsp Rum
• 225g Strong White Bread Flour
• 25g butter, unsalted
• 25g Caster Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Fast Action Dried Yeast
• 40g Pistachio Nuts
• 1 Lemon, grated zest
• 6 tbsp Semi-Skimmed Milk, warmed
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 15g Butter, melted for brushing
• 175g Marzipan, white or golden
• Melted butter for glazing
• Icing Sugar, for dusting

1. Place the dried fruit and candied peel in a small bowl, pour over the rum, stir well, cover and leave to soak overnight.
2. The next day, place the flour in a bowl and rub in the butter.
3. Mix in the sugar, salt yeast, pistachio nuts and lemon zest.
4. Make a well in the centre and add the milk and egg. Mix to a soft dough.
5. Turn out onto an unfloured surface and knead for about 10 mins until smooth.
6. Strain any liquid off the marinated fruit and using floured hands, knead the fruit into the dough. Place in an oiled polythene bag and prove until doubled in size.
7. Grease a baking sheet.
8. Using your hands roll out the marzipan into a 23cm sausage shape.
9. Lightly flour the work surface and without knocking back the dough, roll it out to a 23cm circle.
10. Brush it all over with melted butter and lay the marzipan down the centre. Fold both sides of the dough over to wrap up the marzipan and press down lightly to seal. Place on the baking sheet, cover and prove until doubled in size.
11. Preheat the oven to Gas 6/200ºC/fan180ºC.
12. Brush the Stollen with melted butter and bake for 30 mins.
13. To test, give the base a sharp tap - it should sound hollow when it is done.
14. While hot, brush with a little more melted butter.
15. Cool on a wire rack before dusting heavily with sifted icing sugar.

Freezing

Stollen can be frozen for up to 1 month. Do not dust with icing sugar; wrap in greaseproof paper and foil and then freeze. To thaw, keep at room temperature overnight and then dust with icing sugar.