Fragrant Stollen with red cranberries

Start the festive season with an Fragrant Stollen, the Christmas cake that brings traditional German spirit to every home table. This recipe allows you to create magic with a combination of dried fruits, rich marzipan filling, and a captivating blend of holiday spices.

A fantastic recipe to add to Christmas recipe collection. 

Soaked in advance in rum or brandy, the fruits give the cake a unique taste and aroma, while the marzipan adds sweetness and softness. Serve this Stollen as the centerpiece of your Christmas celebration and share the joy of the holiday with loved ones.

Origin of the Recipe: Stollen originated in Dresden, Germany, around the early 1400s. Initially, it was a rather plain and simple bread as the Catholic Church during Advent imposed a ban on butter and milk to create a fasting meal, leading to a bread that was somewhat hard and tasteless. The bakers at the time made the bread from oil, oats, and water.

The turning point came when, in 1491, Prince Elector Ernst of Saxony and his brother Duke Albrecht requested permission from the Pope to use butter instead of oil, without having to pay a fine. The Pope, at that time, was Pope Innocent VIII. The famous “Butter-Letter” was sent from the Pope to the Prince, giving permission to use butter, but only for the Prince’s household. Over time, this permission was extended to the general public, and the bread evolved into the rich, buttery loaf that we know today as Stollen.

Why It’s Called ‘Stollen’: The name “Stollen” refers to the bread’s traditional shape, which is meant to symbolize the swaddled Baby Jesus. This is why the loaf is often dusted with powdered sugar to represent the snowy white of purity. Over the centuries, the recipe has been refined to include fruits, nuts, spices, and marzipan, which are now typical ingredients that give the bread its distinctive festive flavors.

Interesting fact:

The city of Dresden is known for its particularly famous version called the “Dresdner Christstollen,” a specific type of Stollen that is celebrated with an annual festival known as the Stollenfest. This festival and the bread itself draw many tourists and have become a significant part of Dresden’s cultural heritage.

This historical and cultural background adds to the richness of enjoying Stollen during the Christmas season, making it not just a treat but also a slice of European culinary history.