Holiday Blog post

                                    MIDDLEBURGER STOLLEN  

 

THIS TRIUMPH OF FAMILY NOSTALGIA, THE NEED FOR SOMETHING GOOD ON CHRISMAS MORNING, AND THE PAUCITY OF DECENT GERMAN PASTRIES IN THIS PART OF VIRGINIA WAS FIRST MADE ON 23 DECEMBER 2015.  IT IS A DRESDENER STYLE STOLLEN, BORROWED IN PART FROM THE GERMAN COOKBOOK (SHERATON), PARTLY FROM A RECIPE FOR OLD-FASHIONED DRIED FRUITCAKE IN IN THE SWEET KITCHEN (DALEY), AND BAKING MEMORIES OF MY MOTHER AND MY OLDEST SISTER.   IT’S AN INVENTION THAT I THINK WILL ACCOMMODATE MANY VARIATIONS.  ONE CAUTION: WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T USE THE CANDIED FRUITS LIKE CITRON AND LEMON YOU FIND IN THE STORES AT CHRISTMASTIME.  REGULAR DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS OR FRUIT YOUCANDY YOURSELF ARE BEST.

 

I recommend making your own candied orange peel for use in this stollen.    This recipe will make plenty of extra for fillings, compotes, sauces, garnishes, desserts, and other baked goods.   Take 3 large (4 small) oranges, juice them, cut in quarters and scrape out the innards down to the white rind.  Cut into quarter-inch wide strips, blanche as follows.  Bring 1 ½ qts water to a boil, add the peel and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain. Repeat two more times with fresh water.  After the third blanche, combine 2 ¼ cups sugar with 1 ½ cups water. Slowly heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the peel.  Gently boil,  then simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours, creating a thick syrup.  Save half the oranges and the syrup in a jar for other uses.  For the stolen, drain the remaining peel, dredge each piece in sugar and let dry on a rack or waxed paper at least overnight.  You will ultimately chop them coarsely for inclusion in the stollen.

 

Combine 1 ½ cups golden raisins (my wife dislikes the dark ones), the chopped candied orange peel (about 1 ½  cups), ¾ cup dried currants, ¾ cup chopped dried apricots (a great but unconventional addition), and ½ cup candied ginger (store bought). Soak all fruit in good rum for at least an hour, longer if you like. Do this well ahead of time.  Save the juice if you like.

 

Dissolve two envelopes of dried yeast in ½ cup lukewarm water. Scald (don’t boil) 2 cups milk, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp salt, and 1 ½ cups butter. When the butter is melted, add the grated rind of one lemon (more is okay), 2 tbl rum and 1 tsp almond extract.  Let cool to lukewarm, add the yeast mixture and two cups of all-purpose flour.   Mix well and let set in a warm draft-free place for 20 or 30 minutes until th mixture blisters.  Now, stir in 4 beaten eggs and gradually add from 5 to 7 additional cups of flour.  The amount of flour may vary. You want the dough to be light and elastic but not sticky.  More flour means a stollen loaf that will be dense and stand up like bread; less means it will “spread” while baking and result in biscotti shaped slices. 

 

The fruit should now be removed from the rum, dried on a towel, and dredged lightly in flour.  Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead, gradually incorporating all the fruit.

Nuts can also be added if desired. I recommend 1 1/2 cups of chopped and blanched slivered almonds but pine nuts or chopped pistachios would be interesting.   When dough is smooth, place in a floured bowl, brush with butter, and return it (covered with a towel) to a warm draft free place for one hour. It should double in size.

 

Punch the dough down, turn out onto a board and cut into 3 equal pieces. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Let it rest 15 minutes.  Roll or flatten each piece to create an elongated oval 1 inch thick, then fold in half once lengthwise so the top fold is slightly shorter than the bottom. Pinch the seams closed.  Place each loaf on a buttered  baking sheet.  Some may prefer to bake stollen in a bread pan and that’s often the way it is sold commercially but this is more traditional.  However, it requires the dough to be stiffer or it will ‘pancake’ while baking.  Butter and sugar the loaves again and once again place in a warm place to rise for another hour.

 

Bake the stollens (they may need to be baked separately) in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, then at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  While warm, brush with butter and sprinkle generously with confectioners sugar.  Another possibility is to brush on any  rum and fruit juice left over from macerating the fruit.  My sister’s stollen was iced with a light confection and dotted with candied cherries, for a festive presentation.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

 

 

Welcome to my blog.  Let’s launch this with something seasonal and unique.  For several years, I’ve obsessed about a 25+ year old recipe from the New York Times food section  – Portuguese Turkey.  This recipe puts Turducken and deep fried turkey in the shade. For my German-English-Welsh-Scottish family, this piquant, Mediterranean adaptation has been a Thanksgiving revelation.  I summarize this recipe for your delight!

The Times (which got this recipe from an obviously skilled Portuguese woman in New Jersey) says to use two 12-pound turkeys but I have found that one, slightly larger turkey works fine unless you’re feeding an exceptionally large group.  Smaller turkeys absorb the seasonings better, so don't use a turkey larger than 14-15 lbs.   A Portuguese or international food store (I found one in Arlington, VA) is critical because some ingredients (Portuguese bread and sausage) will otherwise be hard to find.  First, brine the turkey for 24 hours; then immerse it in dry white wine (two large bottles – cheap) for another day -- the longer the better.   In the wine, combine 8 large garlic cloves, 4 bay leaves, salt,  2 tbls sweet paprika, 2 tbls of hot sauce (Vietnamese hot sauce is best but Chirashi will do), and 2 tbls of fresh oregano. Turn occasionally.  Reserve most of the marinade – you will need it.

Preheat the oven to 450 degree.   You will pack the bird loosely with the following stuffing (below) – the stuffing is just magical.  There will be lots left over to bake in a casserole.

Bring 1 quart of water and 1quart of milk to a boil. Reduce heat and put in 1 loaf of Portuguese cornmeal bread (remove crusts if tough) and 6 Italian rolls, torn or cut into small pieces  Let cool for 20-30 minutes, add 1 tbl of oil,  and work with your hands and or a food processor until doughy. Meantime, take one large chourico sausage (Portuguese, not Mexican – linguisa will do), boil it in water for 3-4 minutes, remove the casing and chop it up. In a large skillet, saute 2 finely chopped  onions in 4 tbls of hot oil and 2 tbls of paprika,. Add the sausage, 1 cup of chopped parsley, ½ lb of chopped Portuguese green and black pitted olives, 1 tbls of tomato paste, 1 tsp hot sauce, and white pepper to taste.  Fold in the bread mixture and add 6 egg yolks. Season with salt and 4 more tbls of hot oil.  Once cool, the stuffing is ready to use.

Bake the turkey for 30 minutes at 450 and then turn the oven down to 350. Another 2 ½ hours should do it but all ovens are different.  The bird should be on a rack and beneath it, add 1 or 2 inches of the wine marinade.   Baste occasionally with the drippings and marinade.   The gravy is fantastic; use 1 tbls of flour for every 2 cups of drippings and juice it up with fresh lemon juice.  Start with a roux and build it from there.  The recipe suggests garlicy potatoes and Portuguese  sausages as accompaniments but that’s up to you.  But I do recommend a spicey gravy with extra  lemon and hot sauce. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.