Sig's Fine German Christmas Stollen with Marzipan

• 75 grams mixed raisins and sultanas
• 50 ml liqueur, I use cherry brandy but any fruit liqueur will do.
• 30 grams finely chopped hazelnuts
• 30 grams ground almonds
• 250 grams all-purpose flour (plain) flour
• 2 tsp baking powder (not baking soda)
• 50 grams candid orange or mixed peel
• 2 tbsp candied cherries finely chopped , optional
• 75 grams soft butter
• 75 grams caster ( superfine ) sugar
• 2 small or 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Orange blossom or orange extract
• 1/4 tsp rum aroma (flavouring)
• 135 grams best German quark if you can get it , if not any quark will do but let it drain well in any case. If you can't get quark use mascarpone or any similar soft cheese
• 50 grams or more marzipan, I use brandy marzipan ,but any will do , optional
• 2 tbsp butter, melted for brushing
• 50 grams icing sugar for dusting

1. Soak your raisins and sultanas in your chosen liqueur, set aside, for about 30 minutes
2. Preheat oven to 180C
3. In a smallish bowl mix your flour and baking powder well.
4. Add the chopped hazelnuts and the ground almond.
5. Add the orange peel, cherries( if using ) and soaked sultanas and raisins without the soaking liqueur, set the liquid aside .Stir the flour/fruit and nut mixture thoroughly.
6. In a larger bowl whisk the softened butter with the sugar, add the eggs whisk until light and creamy
7. Add the flavourings, vanilla,orange blossom and rum aroma.
8. Then add the quark.
9. Stir thoroughly.
10. Add the flour/fruit and nut mixture to the butter/egg mixture a spoon at a time.
11. Until almost all gone, pour in half of the soaking liquid, then add the remainder of the flour mixture ensuring it gets well combined.
12. If it is to wet add a little extra flour.Flour a table or cake board and flatten the dough into a oval shape this dough is not pliable it is more loose but you can still get hold of it in one go .
13. If you are using the marzipan, roll it about little finger width size into a sausage shape that is almost as long as the oval shape and lay it onto the dough about two thirds up .
14. Now roll the smaller top over the marzipan and fold onto the Lower part.
15. Make sure the marzipan is folded in well or it may run .The loaf should be a little thicker at one end as it is meant to resemble a sleeping baby.
16. Slightly curve the loaf .
17. Carefully move onto your flat baking tray.
18. Cover lightly with baking or parchment paper or use a thin silicone liner put into oven and bake for about 45 minutes.
19. Immediately after the Stollen comes out of the oven brush it with the 2 tablespoons of butter all over and leave to cool.
20. When cooled down dust with icing sugar .
21. This can be made up to about 6 -8 weeks ahead to achieve a so called ripening, if you do , wrap the Stollen securely into tinfoil and keep in a very cold room or space, we put it in the garage , but not the fridge, because of moist and odour from other food items
22. This Stollen is good to eat from day one of you like

raisins, liqueur, hazelnuts, ground almonds, flour, baking powder, candid orange, candied cherries, butter, caster, egg, vanilla, orange, rum aroma, will, brandy, butter, icing sugar

Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/368333-sigs-fine-german-christmas-stollen-with-marzipan (may not work)