Stollen Bites
Tiny, bite-sized stollen are perfect to put in a pretty bag and give as a gift.
Sponge
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup (6 ounces) lukewarm water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
Fruit
1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) dried pineapple, chopped in 1/4" dice
1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) golden raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup (3 ounces) candied cherries, snipped into quarters
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) rum or brandy
Dough
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) softened butter
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk powder
1/3 cup (2 3/8 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest or 1/8 teaspoon orange oil
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) toasted almonds, chopped
Topping
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, melted
2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners' sugar, glazing sugar, or non-melting sugar
Making the sponge: Mix together and set aside for 1 hour, or for up to 4 hours.
Mixing the fruit: Mix together and set aside to allow the fruit to absorb the liquor.
The dough: Combine the sponge and the dough ingredients (except for the almonds), and mix and knead to make a soft, shiny, elastic dough. Towards the end, knead in the soaked fruits (along with any liquid) and almonds. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide it into 40 pieces, rolling each piece into a ball. Place the balls on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1" between them. Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes, until the balls are puffy. Bake the stollen bites in a preheated 350°F oven for about 18 minutes, until they're light brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Toss stollen in the melted butter, then the confectioners' sugar. Allow to cool completely before wrapping and storing. Stollen bites keep well for a week at room temperature; freeze for longer storage. Toss with confectioners' sugar again just before serving, if desired. Yield: 40 bites.
Stollen shortcut! Make our stollen mix, then shape and bake into stollen bites as directed above.
Reviews
12/30/2008
I made this recipe up for the first time last christmas and gave them out as gifts. I heard nothing but raves over this recipe.
12/23/2008
I am just going to try this recipe for the first time. I was listening to Wisconsin Public Radio, a program about baking with yeast. A woman called in with a question about regular stollen, which she found tedious to make, and she raved about this recipe. She directed us to the King Arthur Flour website. If this works out, I'll be back for more recipes. (The stars are based on the woman caller's raves.)
07/07/2009
I have made these many times. It is an excellent recipe! I've made one change though. We like an almond flavored icing drizzled over the top after they have cooled.
08/22/2009
This is a fabulously easy recipe that looks and tastes like you worked way too hard in the kitchen. I've made this for the last two years, friends and family now request it during the fall/winter holidays.
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