Weihnachtsstollen

Place the Raisins in a bowl and pour over enough Dark Rum to cover; let soak at least 30 minutes or, for deeper flavor, overnight.

Roughly chop the Candied Orange Peel, Candied Lemon Peel and Blanched Almonds; set aside.

Warm the Whole Milk to lukewarm (about 38–43°C / 100–110°F), crumble in the Fresh Yeast and stir in a teaspoon of Granulated Sugar until dissolved; let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl combine the All-Purpose Flour with the rest of the granulated sugar, Vanilla Sugar, a pinch of Salt and the spices: Ground Cinnamon, Ground Cardamom and Ground Mace.

Make a well in the flour mixture and add the yeast‑milk, a beaten Egg, softened Unsalted Butter and the finely grated zest of a Lemon. Mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Gently fold in the drained soaked raisins, chopped candied peel and chopped almonds.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.

Punch down the dough, shape it into an oval and fold one long side over the other to form the traditional stollen shape, tucking in any loose fruit.

Transfer the shaped loaf to a parchment‑lined baking sheet, cover and let rise a second time for 30–45 minutes while you preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).

Bake the stollen for 35–45 minutes, until deep golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean; if the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

As soon as the stollen comes out of the oven, brush generously with melted butter and sift a thick layer of Powdered Sugar over the top to seal in the moisture.

Cool completely on a wire rack. For best flavor, wrap the loaf tightly and let it rest for a day before serving, dusting with more powdered sugar just before slicing.