Each country has its Christmas culture and while our summer Christmas is not always kind to wintery European traditions, trying a traditional German Christollen (or Christmas Stollen) with a glass of well-chilled La Motte Straw Wine, can easily be incorporated into festivities this year. Serve it as an alternative dessert or after-dinner surprise.

We were inspired by a family recipe of German student, Carla Huesgen, who is doing an internship on the estate. 

Christollen Recipe

Ingredients:

200 g castor sugar

1 vanilla pod

5 ml almond essence

30 ml white rum

250 g butter

250 g cream cheese

2 eggs

500 g cake flour

200 g raisins

100 g crushed almonds

25 g crushed pistachios

50 g crushed walnuts

200 g marzipan

50 g butter, melted

1 egg for egg wash

Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 175°C.

Use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and combine castor sugar, vanilla seeds, almond essence, white rum, butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.

Turn the mixer’s speed down and add eggs one by one.

Fold in the cake flour until there are no lumps - be careful not to over-mix.

Fold in the raisins and nuts.

The dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but if it is too soft to handle, add a little more flour.

Separate the dough into 4 even parts. Shape each of the 4 dough parts into a flat disc, about 2 cm thick.

Divide the marzipan into 4 parts, about 50 g each, and roll each portion into a log shape.

Place the marzipan log on one side of the round dough disc and roll the dough around the marzipan so that the marzipan becomes the centre of the loaf.

Pinch the seam of the dough and place on the baking tray, seam side down. Place two of these loaves next to each other as one Christollen consists of two loaves.

Brush the loaves with the egg wash and bake at 175° for 50 - 60 minutes.

As soon as the loaves come out of the oven, brush them with butter and dust with icing sugar.