Stollen and Getting Organized for Holiday Baking – Step 3

Stollen  and Getting Organized for Holiday Baking – Step3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week I will start my Christmas baking. I have two recipes that need about 4 to 6 weeks of aging time so that they are perfect for our Holiday Open House and drop in guests. But when it comes to Christmas baking time (my favorite season of the year!), I am always frustrated by my small kitchen. I only have about 6 feet of counter space…so what to do now that I want to get started on my baking marathon? As you all know, I love to bake, so the first and most important step for me is to make sure that my kitchen is organized properly and that I’ve planned my time to get it done without getting frazzled.

I just realized, you’re wondering what happened to Steps 1 and 2 in the Countdown to Christmas Baking. I have started writing thinking that we have already discussed how to choose the perfect recipes (Step 1) and how to organize our shopping lists (Step 2). Click on the following links to read about Steps 1 and 2…..Countdown to Christmas Baking Step 1  and Countdown to Christmas Baking Step 2

So, today is my kitchen organizing day. Some of these things I do as a matter of survival. I am always testing and baking for my blog and cookbooks, but before holiday baking time, I go through my kitchen and make sure that I have everything where I want and need it.

In today’s blog, I share some kitchen organizing tips and include my favorite German Stollen recipe.

3 Tips for an Organized Clutter-Free Kitchen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 *Store Dishes and Small Appliances in Logical Places

Anything that you regularly wash in the dishwasher should be stored as close to it as possible. That way you save valuable time and steps by being able to unload the dishwasher quickly. Likewise, anything you normally use near the stove should be as close to the stove as possible such as spices, oils, and vinegars.

If you’re right handed put mixing bowls, measuring equipment and so on to the right; if you’re left handed, it’ll work best to the left unless the cabinet on the left opens in your face. Ideally you want the cabinet to open easily so you can grab what you need and put it right back. Try using special spice cabinet inserts like a lazy susan or other device to make it easier. Using a logical method to store your dishes and small appliances will save time today and on baking day too.

*Put Extra Dishes and Appliances Out of Sight

If you have special dishes or extra place settings and other appliances that you do not use on a daily basis, put those in a hutch or other location when not in use. My husband built some storage shelves in the storage area downstairs which is a real lifesaver this time of year. By tucking away the extras, you save space, and make room for the specialty items you need now and make your kitchen less cluttered.

Now is the time to bring out any special pans or bowls, cookie cutters, decorating supplies that you have stashed away so that you don’t have to go hunting for them when they’re needed. Put them where they are handy and yet out of sight when not in use.

*Keep Your Counters Clear

The clearer you keep your counters, the easier it will be to bake a batch of cookies from the dough you had frozen earlier, whenever you have 20 minutes to spare.

If you have a tendency to put coupons, bills, and other things on the kitchen counters or even in a kitchen junk drawer, try to figure out an alternative. One way to organize that type of thing is to use your fridge and a magnetic box or clips to easily store coupons, notepads, grocery lists.

It’s definitely a good habit to have a grocery list and pen hanging on your fridge so that when you run out of something you can write it down on the list right then. Eliminating the need to scan your cupboards for the basics when it’s time to make your baking shopping list is a good habit to get into any time of year. Be sure that you have stored your baking items, bowls, tools, pans, and even ingredients if there is room, in the cabinets nearest to the largest area of counter space. Try using clearly labeled containers to make it easy to see what’s there.

Now that your kitchen is organized you can more easily find time to bake. You don’t have to do all the holiday baking in one session. We’ll talk about that in the next post. The Stollen recipe below is one recipe that I like to make early and freeze. The bread freezes very well for several months.

STOLLEN RECIPE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My friend, Valerie, has graciously shared this wonderful Stollen recipe with us. Thank you, Valerie! This is our favorite recipe.

Our family loves German Stollen at Christmas on the sweets tray. Lots of raisins and currants nestled in tasty dough made light by the addition of “quark”, a fresh cheese similar to mascarpone. In fact, if you are unable to find Quark at your ethnic grocer, mascarpone will also work well.

This Stollen recipe is quick and easy as it uses baking powder and not yeast as a leavener. The resulting dough is wonderful! My family and I love marzipan, so I always put a 1-inch thick roll of marzipan in the middle of each loaf. This is optional; if you don’t care for the almond paste in the loaf, leave it out.

The recipe also calls for 3 different kinds of “aroma” rather than extract. Aroma is an extra strong flavoring extract found in European specialty food stores. If you are unable to find aroma bottles, use 1 ½ teaspoons of a good quality extract for each bottle of aroma called for instead.

Start this recipe the evening (or day) before you plan to bake your Stollen. The resulting hint of rum flavor in the fruit adds to the incredible taste of these Stollen after baking

Stollen Ingredients:

1 ½ cups raisins

1 ½ cups currants

1 cup candied lemon/orange (citron) peel

¼ – 1/3 cup rum (I use 1/3 cup)

2 ½ cups slivered almonds

6 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt, optional

½ teaspoon mace

½ teaspoon cardamom

1 ½ cups unsalted butter

2 cups (500 g) quark cheese

4 large eggs

2 bottles rum aroma

1 bottle lemon aroma

1 bottle almond aroma

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Marzipan, optional

Preparation:

Soak raisins, currants and peel in the rum overnight.

Line an 11 x 16 -inch cookie sheet with buttered parchment paper that has about 2 inches extending up along the sides and ends of the cookie sheet.

Preheat oven 350°F.

Method:

1. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the fruit mixture to keep the fruit from sticking together and add the almonds to the mixture.
2. Whisk together the remaining flour (5 ¾ cups), baking powder, sugar, salt, mace, and cardamom in a large bowl.
3. Add butter and cut butter into the flour mixture like you would for pie dough. I use my pastry blender.
4. Whisk together the quark, eggs, all the flavorings and add to the crumb-like flour mixture. Knead this mixture together and blend lightly.
5. Add fruit and nut mixture to the flour/quark dough and knead altogether.

*Note: Steps 4 and 5 can be done in a stand mixer using a dough hook. Using #2 speed, just mix until the fruit is evenly distributed and the dough is smooth.

6. Evenly divide dough into 3 portions. Roll out each ball of dough into an oval about 10 inches long. Brush with melted unsalted butter. If adding marzipan, add a finger-like roll of marzipan in the middle before folding over. (Do not put marzipan too close to the ends.) Once folded into desired loaf shape, brush again with unsalted butter. Place the 3 loaves side by side on the lined cookie sheet. Try not to have them touch.
7. Place a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven underneath the stollen.
8. Bake stollen for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until loaves golden and sound hollow when tapped. If loaves begin to brown too quickly, lay a sheet of foil loosely on top.
9. Remove to wire racks. Brush again with unsalted butter and sift icing sugar on top. Cool completely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Freeze: Wrap each stollen in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in ziplock freezer bags. Label, date and freeze.

 

 

 

Tags: Christmas bread, Christmas cake, Christmas Stollen, clutter-free kitchen, German recipe, German Stollen, kitchen organization, organise for Christmas

Category: Baking Tips, Breads & Buns