No-Yeast Stollen for Festive Celebrations

Begin by rinsing your dried fruits thoroughly to remove any preservatives. Next, zest the oranges and squeeze their juice into a bowl. If you're using cognac, feel free to add it at this stage. Combine the orange zest, juice, and cognac with the dried fruits. Cover the mixture and let it sit for a few hours. For best results, you can soak the dried fruits overnight.

For best results, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter with a pinch of salt, sugar, eggs, and your spices. Beat the mixture thoroughly with a mixer. Once well combined, add the cottage cheese that has been blended until smooth or pushed through a sieve.

Next, stir in the baking powder and half of the flour using a spatula. Gradually add the remaining flour while mixing until you have a uniform dough. Finally, fold in the soaked dried fruits and chopped roasted nuts. Your dough is now ready!

Instead of the traditional stollen shape, I prefer to make mini versions. Divide the dough into four equal parts and place them in a baking pan to mold. Once shaped, extract each piece and form small logs or 'mini-stollen'. Transfer the formed logs to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Bake the mini-stollens in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

As soon as the stollen comes out of the oven, brush it generously with the melted butter. Immediately sprinkle powdered sugar on top while still warm for best adherence. Wrap each stollen in parchment paper and place them in the refrigerator. They can be stored for several days, allowing them to soak in flavors and soften up beautifully.