Stollen Bars

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I love stollen at Christmas time. The bakery down the street makes a fantastic one. It’s so buttery and rich, one of my favorite things. It’s something that I think would be fun to make one day, but it would be a project to make and not one I have felt the need to try. It’d be fun and rewarding, but when there is such a great option down the street I don’t really feel the need.

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However, when these stollen bars popped up on my Instagram feed I knew that THIS was something I could get on board with! A quick bar that hits all the same notes as stollen, but without the commitment, perfect!

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They turned out absolutely delicious. Nothing light and healthy about this recipe, perfect for Christmas giving. The combination of almond extract and orange zest was reminiscent of blue moon ice cream which was a fun surprise!

I followed the recipe to a T with the one exception of replacing the marzipan with almond paste since I already was buying almond paste for making banket and it turned out just fine. It did end up baking about 10-12 minutes longer than called for but not a big deal. A fun and festive recipe that I would certainly make again.

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Stollen Bars
My Name is Yeh
Ingredients

  • 2 c (260g) all-purpose flour

  • 2/3 c (75g) almond flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt

  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

  • a pinch of ground cloves

  • a pinch of allspice

  • 3/4 c (168g) unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature

  • 4 oz (112g) cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1 c (200g) sugar

  • zest of 1 orange

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

  • 1/3 c (53g) dried cherries

  • 1/3 c (53g) golden raisins

  • 1 c (112g) roasted pistachios

  • 8 oz (227g) marzipan, chopped into 3/4” pieces [or substitute almond paste which is what I did and it turned out great]

  • 1/3 c (40g) powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350º. grease an 8” square pan and line with parchment paper so that 1” wings come up on two sides. set it aside.

in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, cloves, and allspice. in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together 1/2 cup of the butter, the cream cheese, sugar, and orange zest on medium high until pale and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. add the egg and almond extract and beat until combined. reduce the speed to low and then beat in the dry ingredients followed by the cherries, raisins, and pistachios. fold in the marzipan pieces by hand. scrape into the pan and spread it out evenly with your hands or a rubber spatula. bake until golden around the edges and lightly browned on top; begin checking for doneness at 28 minutes. [Mine ended up taking close to 40 minutes give or take, so keep a close eye on it]

spread the remaining 1/4 cup of butter all over the top while it’s still hot out of the oven so that the butter melts and then sprinkle with powdered sugar. let cool in the pan and then cut into squares and enjoy! keep in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to two weeks.