Christmas Stollen Muffins
One of my favorite things about the human body is that it makes food memories. Being such a food loving family, so many of our holiday traditions are centered around sharing meals and enjoying delicious sweets and drinks together. The holidays are not the holidays without mince pies, sugar cookies, mulled wine and a big roast dinner. It’s a wonder we don’t all gain 10 pounds every year! Each one of these things is so linked to the time of year that it’s hard to separate them. Though we bake and enjoy certain foods at this time of year, these foods can never be eaten at any other time without bringing back memories of Christmas time.
Stollen for me has become a new holiday tradition. It goes hand in hand with Christmas time in Germany and the flavors of raisins, currants, orange rinds and brandy are unmistakably Christmassy. It is one of my favorite treats at this time of year because who can resist citrus fruits and currants baked into a deliciously sweet loaf. And because marzipan. I just love anything with marzipan!
These muffins are my little take on the Christmas classic and I think that they are divine. Just a little mini portion of Christmas just for you. They have all the flavors of stollen but with 1/8 of the effort!
I hope you’re enjoying this time of year with family too whether you celebrate Christmas or not. What foods remind you of the holidays? Merry Christmas Everyone!!
Christmas Stollen Muffins
- 30 g candied orange rinds, roughly chopped
- 40 g currants
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp brandy
- 120g plain flour
- 80g ground almonds
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 125g caster sugar
- 180 g unsalted butter
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 80 g marzipan, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with liners.
In a small bowl, combine the orange rinds, currants, lemon zest and brandy. Stir every so often so the brandy gets absorbed.
In another large bowl, combine the flour, almonds and baking powder.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Slowly add the beaten eggs one by one until fully incorporated.
Add the flour and almond mixture slowly until everything just comes together. Remove from the mixer.
Using a spatula, fold in the orange rinds, currants, lemon zest mixture and the marzipan cubes.
Divide into 12 and fill the cupcake liners. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from cupcake tin and let cool on a rack. Makes 12 muffins.
