Making Stollen is not for the faint of heart. Avoiding it altogether because excellent store-bought Stollen abounds is further abetted by the invention of Stollenkonfekt, bite-size chunks of spiced, tender Quark dough studded with almonds and raisins and thickly cloaked in vanilla-scented confectioners’ sugar. They may be a relatively recent development in the world of Christstollen, which dates back to the Middle Ages, but they more than make up for their youth. In other words, want the rich, buttery, spicy flavor of Stollen without the work of a yeasted dough and the weeks of impatiently waiting for the loaves to be ready? If so, Stollenkonfekt is the thing for you.
Instead of being leavened with yeast, the basis of Stollenkonfekt is a Quark-enriched dough made with baking powder. You cram more raisins and almonds than you would think possible into the dough, which is flavored with the trio of Stollen spices: cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Then you pinch off little lumps of dough and bake them until they’re just turning a light golden brown. After a quick dip in a molten butter bath and a roll in a bowl of powdery Vanilla Sugar (Vanillezucker), the Konfekt only have to cool off before they’re ready to eat. That said, I find that Stollenkonfekt that have had a few days to rest taste even better than when fresh from the oven. The spices ripen and the texture settles.
An added bonus which is admittedly more about vanity than anything else, is that Stollenkonfekt are easier to arrange on a platter with other Christmas cookies than slices of Stollen loaf. And while Stollenkonfekt don’t have the shelf life of regular Stollen, they’ll keep for at least 10 days in an airtight container. They are surprisingly sturdy for such tender little things.
Ingredients
Makes about 36 pieces
Dough:
Topping:
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2
To make the dough: Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and cream together until fluffy. Add the Quark, grated lemon peel, vanilla extract, and rum; beat until well combined.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and baking powder. Add to the Quark mixture and beat together until just combined. Briefly beat in the almonds and raisins.
Step 4
Using your hands, pinch off golf ball–size pieces of dough and, without overhandling them, form them into 2-inch/5cm ovals or blocks. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 inch/2.5 cm between them. Place one baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the Stollen bites are a pale golden brown.
Step 5
Meanwhile, make the topping: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Place the confectioners’ sugar and Vanilla Sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 6
Remove the Stollen bites from the oven and slide in the second batch. Let the finished bites cool briefly, just until you can handle them. Dip each bite into the melted butter, and then toss in the confectioners’ sugar mixture and place back on the baking sheet to set. Repeat with the second batch when they have baked.
Step 7
When the Stollen bites are completely cool, store in airtight containers, separated by pieces of waxed or parchment paper, for at least 1 day. They are best if allowed to rest for 3 to 4 days before serving. Just before serving, dust the bites again with a fresh layer of sifted confectioners’ sugar. The bites will keep in an airtight container for at least 10 days and up to 3 weeks.
To blanch whole almonds, place them in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes, and then drain off the water. The almond skin will be quite loose and can be either pushed or scraped off.
How would you rate Bite-Size Stollen (*Stollenkonfekt*)?
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Reviews (4)
Back to TopAgreed: the dough assembly step(s) appear to have DISappeared. If I were to try these (I won't), I'd mix the first 7 (wet or moist) ingredients in one bowl, then sift or whisk the flour, spices and leavening together, tossing some of that with the nuts and fruit (so they suspend in the dough after combining the flour mixture with the wet ingredients, then adding the floured nuts and fruits. But still, the ACTUAL steps would certainly be helpful!
Suzinsf
San Francisco
11/29/2023
HOW DO YOU PREPARE THE DOUGH THAT YOU ARE GOING TO PINCH OFF? DON'T BAKE THAT MUCH, BUT IT SEEMS A STEP IS MISSING.
Anonymous
12/27/2022
Am I missing something? "Pinch off the dough" - where are the instructions for making the dough?!!
Anonymous
Washington, DC
12/23/2021
Meh. Maybe I took too literally the admonition to avoid overhandling the dough, but these lost a lot of the fruit and nuts in the baking and later in the butter / sugar step. I found the spice flavor very mild, and I had even doubled the amounts because the stated quantities looked too skimpy.
geekstress
Kusadasi, Turkey
10/26/2020
These have a lovely flavor but turned out drier than I had hoped, possibly in part to my quark. I made the quark as directed, but perhaps let it drain for too long as its consistency was less yogurt, more solid. That said, the final product tastes lovely. If you or the people eating them like a firmer cookie (I am reminded a bit of Scottish "rock buns"), then bake on. The only things that I changed from the recipe was 2/3rds raisins, 1/3 dried cranberries instead of all raisins, as well as adding 1/4 tsp almond extract in response to the previous reviewer wishing for more almond flavor. I will make them again, and next time in addition to finding quark in the store or allowing it to drain for less time, will tap off more of the confectioners sugar or try to let more of the butter drip off before rolling in sugar. The final product is a bit heavy on the xx sugar, but likely as a result of my technique.
telebetty
Burlington, VT
1/1/2017
These are delicious! Easier to do than traditional stollen, and the smaller size makes them pretty and easy to serve a lot of people. The lemon gives them a freshness, and the vanilla sugar on the outside adds a nice fragrant touch. I followed the recipe exactly except I subbed dried cranberries for raisins simply because I like them better. Next time I might sub amaretto for the rum as I would have liked a little extra almond flavor to replicate the stollen experience, but the rum was lovely too (and actually I think just about any dark liquor would work here, like bourbon, whiskey, brandy etc). This recipe is definitely going on my yearly holiday baking list!
Anonymous
Chicago, IL
12/23/2016
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