Christmas stollen

Ingredients

• 300 g / 250 g raisins
• 200 g / 250 g candied peel of oranges and lemons
• 100 g almond flour / 250 g almond flakes
• 125 ml / 100 ml rum
• 850 g / 1.5 kg flour (Type 405)
• 1 pack yeast (ca. 42 g) or 2 sachets
• 150 ml / 500 ml milk
• 200 g / 500 g butter
• 2 / 3 + 3 yolks eggs
• 100 g / 200 g sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp cardamon
• ½ tsp muskat
• 1 tsp lemon peel
• 75 g butter
• 150 g icing sugar

Mix the raisins, lemon zest, candied orange and lemon peel together with the rum and ground almonds. Leave to stand for about an hour or leave to stand overnight for more flavor.

Put the flour in a bowl and make a small well with your fingers. Crumble the yeast in there. Briefly warm the milk to lukewarm. Pour about 2 tbsp of the lukewarm milk and a pinch of sugar over the yeast and briefly mix together in the hollow. Sprinkle some flour on top. Cover and leave this mixture to rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

Put butter in small pieces on the flour. Add the eggs, sugar and salt along with the spices. First mix everything together briefly, then knead vigorously with the dough hook at the highest level for at least 5 minutes with the dough hook of the mixer. Meanwhile, gradually add the milk and knead. Finally knead in the fruit-rum-nut mixture. Cover and let rise again in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough flat on one side. Knead the dough again briefly, divide into two equal parts for two stollen. Form both doughs into oblong loaves. Use the rolling pin to flatten about half of the stollen along the long edge. Fold the thick side over the other to shape the traditional « stollen ».

Place on baking tray lined with alufoil and baking paper. Let rise another 30 mn. Preheat over to 200 degrees (top and bottom baking). Reduce heat to 160 degrees and bake cake for 45-50 mn.

Note that if the dough is too soft/miquid and you don't want to add more flour, just bake them in 2 loaf pans. 

Melt 75g butter. Brush over top of cake. Sprinkle with 150g icing sugar.

This cake gets better after 2 weeks. You can keep it for up to 1 month provided it is stored in an airtight container (wrapped in alufoil and platic zip bag) in a cool place (best not fridge). 

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 125gr each of butter and chocolate
  
• 125gr each of flour and sugar
• 1 pack baking powder
• Vanilla flavor

Separate 4 eggs, leave one whole. Mix egg yolks with sugar Add whole egg, then the flour, baking powder and melted butter. Split the dough in two separate bowls. Add vanilla flavor to the one (if you wish) and melted chocolate to the other. Beat egg whites into peakes then add equally to both mixtures. 

Pour into baking tin alternating the mixtures. Bake for 35 minutes at 180 degrees.  

Caramel cake

• 25 Carambar
• 150 gr butter
•  1/2 cup milk
• 150 g flour
• 1/2 pack baking powder 
• 150 gr sugar
• 3 eggs

Preheat oven at 180 °C. Melt carambar, butter and milk. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and eggs. 

Bake 40 mn at 180 °C.

Ingredients

• Pineapple can (boite d'ananas) 450gr
  
• 1.5 cup (185gr) flour (replaced by corn, rice or almond) 
  
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
  
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (cannelle)
  
• 1/2 tsp ginger
  
• 1/2 cup (45gr) shredded coconut
• 1 cup sugar (agave or coconut)
• 1 cup mashed overripe bananas (2-3 bananas) 
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 3/4 cup (180ml) coconut oil

Empty pineapple can and keep 60ml of syrup.

Mix flour + bicarbonate + spices + sugar. Add pineapple + sirup + coconut + bananas + eggs + oil.

Pour into rectangular tin (23cm). Cook in 180-190° for 50 minutes. 

Choose your favorite cream frosting : go to front page 'Favorite bakes'.

Ingredients

• 1 cup melted butter
• 1.5 cups sugar* (coconut sugar...)
• 3,5 cup flour (replaced by sweet potato or alternate flour)
  
• 2 mashed overripe bananas
• 2/3 cup milk 
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp each of bicarbonate & baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 cup walnuts crushed

*NOTE: sugar substitutes are less sweet so consider adding more bananas. 

Mix butter with 1 cup sugar. Add 2 cups of flour. Mix well. Put aside 1/2 cup of mix. 

Add to mixture the bananas, milk, eggs, cinnamon, bicarbonate, baking powder, salt   and the remaining flour and butter. Mix slowly first then increase speed for 2 minutes. Add nuts.

Pour into round tin. Sprinkle with butter/flour/sugar mixture. Cook in 180° for 50 minutes.

Ingredients (needs work!)

• 2 cups flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• 1.5 tsp soda bicarbonate 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice
• 4 eggs
  
• 1 cup oil (rapeseed or coconut)
  
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup sultanas
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla 

Mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Beat eggs and sugar in a separate bowl, then add dry ingredients. Add oil, carrots, pineapple, sultanas and vanilla. Mix well. 

Pour into greased tube pan or 2 round cake pans. 

Cook at 180° for 55 min to 1 hour.

Choose your favorite cream frosting : go to front page 'Favorite bakes'.Choose your favorite cream frosting : go to front page 'Favorite bakes'.

THE COUNTRY STORE VERSION

1. 340 gr butter (room temp)
2. 450gr cream cheese (room temp)
3. 600gr shredded carrots
4. 2 small apples (peeled and shredded)
5. 2 oranges (zest)
6. 1 1/3 cups each walnuts (roasted and chopped) and raisins 
7. 1 tbsp flour
8. 3 1/3 cup flour 
9. 2 tsp each of cinnamon, allspice and salt
10. 2 2/3 tsp baking soda and powder
11. 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
12. 2 1/4 cup sugar
13. 1 cup fromage blanc / Keso / quark
14. 1 cup vegetable oil
15. 4 eggs (room temp)

In one bowl mix carrots with apples and orange zest (3 - 5). 

In another bowl toss raisins and nuts with the tbsp flour (6 & 7).

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately. Wisk the dry (8 - 11) by hand and beat the wet (12 - 15) until fully combined. 

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Manually stir in walnut/raisin mixture. Add carrots/apples/orange mix 

Pour batter into two pans. Bake at 175 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Cool for 10 minutes before removing. 

Prepare icing. 

Mix 1/2 cup (60gr) soft butter + 240gr cream cheese + 1 cup icing sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon.  

Spread over the top of first cake, place the second on top and spread icing over the top and sides. 

Ingredients (needs work!)

• Mix separately:
  
• 2 bananas + 30ml hazelnut oil + 40ml milk
  
• then:
  
• 150gr sugar
  
• 150gr soft butter
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 150gr flour
  
• 45gr hazelnut powder
  
• 5gr baking powder
  
• 60gr chocolate pips
  

Lastly mix both. Cook @ 170 ° for 40 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 roll of short crust pastry
  
• 3 - 4 apples
  
• Apple sauce
  
• 100 g sugar
  
• 100 g butter
  
• 1 egg
  

Melt butter and mix with sugar. When cooled add egg. Mix well. 

Place pastry into tin and poke holes with fork. Cook @ 175° for 5 mn. Put layer of apple sauce on top then apples. Cook another 15 mn.

Prepare cream with sugar + butter + egg. Pour over tart and cook another 10 mn.

Another variation:

Cook tart normally. After 20 mn add cream Alsacienne :

3 eggs + 3 glasses of milk + 90gr sugar + 1 tbsp flour + 2 tbsp Maïzena + vanilla. Cook 12 mn.

Ingredients

• 3 & 1/2 dl chopped walnuts 
• 2 & 1/2 dl sugar
• Juice from half of lemon
• 4 eggs
• 200gr butter melted
• 1/4 dl cream (fresh or fromage blanc)
• Cinnamon
• 1 tsp conjak

Note: This can be made gluten-free by not adding a case.

If using a base, pre-cook it 10 min. 

Mix walnuts, sugar, butter, lemon juice & eggs. Add cream, cinnamon & conjak. Pour mixture into tin. Cook 30-40 minutes @ 180°.

Serve with 100ml whipped cream + 1 tbsp lemon juice and some yoghurt. 

Ingredients (needs work!)

• 125gr each of flour & soft butter
  
• 50-100 gr sugar
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 4 oranges
  
• 200ml orange juice
  
• Peel from 2 oranges
  
• 1 sachet baking powder
  
• 2 tbsp icing sugar or agave sirup 
  

Mix butter + sugar. Add eggs + half of juice + peel + flour + baking powder. Pour into silicone tin for 'cake'. Cook @ 180° for 25 min.

Take out cake and pour over remaining juice. When cooled pouder with icing sugar.

Variation from The Country Store

• 2.5 cups oat flour (ground oats)
• 1/2 cup tapioka / maniok flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp each baking soda and salt
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/2 cup syrup
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 2 cups fresh cranberries* chopped

Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Mix all ingredients folding in the cranberries in the end. Bake for 45 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (50g) poppy seeds
• 3/4 cup (185ml) milk, warmed
• 1/2 - 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups (300g) flour (rice, corn, almond)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 185 g unsalted butter, softened
• Candied lemon zest (optional), to serve

Preheat oven at 180°.

Combine the poppy seeds and milk in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Place the sugar, eggs, flour, lemon zest, 185g butter, and poppy seed and milk mixture in an electric mixer. Beat on high for 5 minutes or until the mixture is pale and thick, then pour into the pan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Icing 1 : Mix 150g melted butter + 2 cups (240g) icing sugar + juice from 1 lemon; Beat with an electric beater until smooth, then drizzle over the cake. Garnish with the candied zest.

Icing 2 : Mix 3/4 cups each of lemon juice and white sugar. Cook in a saucepan over low heat; stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let cool to just warm or to room temperature. 

From the Country Store in Nice

• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 5 tsp - 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• 125-185 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1-1..5 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 2-3 large eggs
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 165°.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds.
In a separate large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add half the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended.
Add milk and lemon juice and mix on low speed until combined.
Mix in remaining flour mixture.
Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups, filling ¾ full. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Lemon Butter Frosting

• ⅓ cup unsalted butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly add in milk and lemon juice, then beat in remaining 2 cups powdered sugar.

Ingredients

For the base :

• 250 gr flour
• 130 gr butter, cubes
• 70 gr sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 5 cl water
• 1 pinch salt

Beat egg yolks with sugar and 2 tbsp water. By hand mix butter and flour. Make a crater and pour the liquid inside. Shape into a ball and flatten twice. Put into a pie-shaped pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes at 180°C.

For the lemon curd :

• 4 lemons, zest and juice
  
• 150 gr sugar
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 1 tbsp maïzena

Put the lemon zest into the pan with the sugar and maïzena. Heat slowly. Beat the egg yolks. Heat up, whipping. The mix will thicken.  Continue stirring when adding the eggs. Remove from the heat and pour on top of pie crust. 

For the meringue :

• 2 egg whites
• 100 gr sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Beat the egg whites and salt until peaks form. Add the sugar and baking powder. Whip until firm. Cover the lemon cream with the meringue. Bake at 120°C/150°C until the meringue is golden (approx 10 minutes).