Bite-Size Stollen (Stollenkonfekt)

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.