Stollenkonfekt (Bite Size Stollen)

Stollenkonfekt is the cookie version of stollen, and I think it is even more delicious than stollen!  

Stollen is a fruit bread with almonds, dried fruit, and often marzipan, though I think the marzipan makes it too sweet. The outside of the bread is coated in confectioner’s sugar.  These cookies bring in those same ingredients (minus the marzipan). Blanched chopped almonds, dried fruit, and classic stollen spices are mixed into a butter cookie dough. After baking, the stollen cookies are dipped in butter and then coated in confectioner’s sugar.

The spices make the cookies’ flavor more bold the next day.  This is a great cookie to go with afternoon tea. It will also be easier to plate on a cookie platter compared to a loaf of stollen.

To blanch whole almonds, place them in a small pot of boiling water.  Let them sit for about five minutes, and then remove them from the water.  The almond skin will be very loose and can be pushed off easily by your fingers.

I will have a recipe for stollen coming soon!

Stollenkonfekt (Bite Size Stollen)
Yields 36 cookies

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons/100g butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon/80g granulated sugar
1 cup/250g quark or Greek yogurt
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum
2 1/3 cups, scooped and leveled, plus 1 tablespoon/ 300g all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup/75g blanched whole almonds, chopped
1 cup/150g dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.)

For the topping:
7 tablespoons/100g unsalted butter
13 tablespoons/100g confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and baking powder.  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.

Add to the quark mixture and beat together until just combined. Stir in the almonds and raisins.
    
Form the dough into 2-inch balls.  Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between them.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the stollen bites are a pale golden brown.
   
While the stolen bites bakes, 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.

Let the finished bites cool about three minutes, so they aren’t too hot to touch.  Dip each bite into the melted butter, and then toss in the confectioners’ sugar mixture and place back on the baking sheet to set.  

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. 

Source: Luisa Weiss’ Classic German Baking