Fritz and Gergen Family Stolen December 27, 2007

This is a family tradition that I have eaten every Christmas season for as long as I can remember. It’s a delicious desert, or snack with coffee. It also is an excellent breakfast, sliced, toasted and spread with melting butter. Though our friend Martina from Berlin told us that toasting it was not German at all. She loved it by the way, she couldn’t quit eating it after our Holiday feast.

Fritz/Gergen German Stollen

Nana (Barbara Fritz) & Grandma (Rita) Gergen
1 ½ cup milk¼ # butter¼ c luke warm water1 pkg. Yeast½ c sugar4 ½ c flour2 eggs¼ t salt1 c raisins¾ c currants (we used dried cranberries)¾ c mixed candied fruit (we omitted these)½ c chopped nuts (we used pecans)

1. Scald milk (heat until it forms a scum but don’t boil) cool with butter. Dissolve yeast in warm water – add to luke warm butter and milk mixture, add sugar and 2 ¼ c flour.Beat until bubbles rise to surface. Add eggs, salt, and fruit & nut mixture.
2. Add remainder of flour and form into a ball – cover bowl with towel and place inn a warm place, let rise in mixing bowl until double in bulkForm into 2 or 3 loaves. Put each loaf on a baking tray with parchment paper. Cover with towel & let rise again, about another 1 – 1.5 hours. Brush with egg white and bake at 300 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Remove from oven and cool on baking rack.

   Icing:

1. Combine luke warm water and confectioners sugar until just liquid enough to pour over loaf.