Stollen is a traditional German Easter treat, but has become something made for other holidays too. It traditionally has nuts and dried fruit, this variant has chocolate chips instead. This also makes bars that you cut up, not a stollen loaf. It’s also a million times easier to make.
Pre-heat oven to 180C
5 ounces thick vegan yoghurt
4 ounces vegan butter (Earth balance or similar)
7 ounces sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp rose essence
1 tsp cardamom
Half tsp cinnamon
3 ounces ground almonds
6 ounces choc chips
12 ounces self raising flour
Marzipan log, sausage shaped, about 5 inches long
For topping: powdered sugar
Cream “butter” add sugar and other wet ingredients, mix well with a wooden spoon. Add dry ingredients except marzipan, mix with fork. Chop marzipan into bite sized pieces, about the size of big raisins. Stir them in well. Press into square 9 inch baking dish. Bake at 180C for 40 mins, should be slightly browned. (It’s hard to test for coming out clean, because choc chips and marzipan are all through it.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar, allow to cool, and cut up into squares. The flavours come out as it cools, so it’s better cold.
Nothing stops you making this with ordinary yoghurt and butter if you don’t need it to be vegan. But it’s an ideal thing to share at a gathering where there will be vegans, because it’s vegan without being in any way penitential. This was endorsed by both vegans and Germans Christmas 2023.
