OLD FASHIONED NUT GRINDER RECIPES

Steps:

• Make a batch of sweet dough. I make it from scratch but there are store brands that are good. This part is critical. On a large surface, put a table cloth or other cloth, sprinkle it liberally with flour. Place the dough in the center and working outward, roll the dough as thin as possible. Then with the flat of your hands, turned up, from the center out, gently pull the dough and make it even thinner. If any portion breaks, pinch it back together. When it is as thin as possible, cover for 1/2 hour.
• Grind the walnuts in a meat grinder or food processor. Place them in a bowl. Add enough evaporated milk to make a nutty paste, not too thin but spreadable. With a tablespoon, apply the nut paste to the dough, leaving an inch or so free of the paste.
• Then, add 'dots' of butter or margarine over the nut paste. Then sprinkle the Cinnamon on top of the mix.
• Finally, roll the dough with your hands into shape, a long roll, which you will then place in a heavy skillet or heavy baking pan at least 9 x 9 into a spiral shape (depending on the size of the roll, may need 2 pans). Bake in a 375 degree oven, preheated, for about one hour, until the top is a nice medium to darker brown. After removing from oven, brush top with melted butter to soften the crust. When it cools, wrap tightly in foil wrap. This bread will easily last ten days if wrapped tightly after each use. Best when sliced thin but to each his own. :)

Steps:

• To make the marzipan in a food processor, blend the ground almonds, icing sugar and rose water until the mass starts to clump together into paste.
• To make it by hand, rub the ingredients with your fingers until it forms clumps, then knead until smooth and pliable.
• For the starter dough, mix all the ingredients and knead for 8 minutes at medium speed with a dough hook mixer attachment. Cover and rest in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.
• Mix all the ingredients for the main dough except starter dough and almond flakes, if using, until smooth. Add the starter dough and almond flakes and mix at medium speed with a dough hook for 10-15 minutes until smooth and bouncy. Cover and rest for 30 minutes; if you have only one Stollen tin and want to use it for both loaves, divide the dough in two and refrigerate one half until ready to use.
• Place the raisins, sultanas and cranberries in a bowl or ziplock bag. Finely chop the peel, glace cherries and almonds and add to the raisins. Warm up the rum and pour over the fruit. Cover or zip up the bag and leave to soak.
• Grind the nuts in a food processor. Add all the other ingredients for the nut filling and mix until smooth. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6 with a rack at the lowest level. Lightly butter the Stollen tin.
• If you haven’t earlier, divide the dough in two. Add the fruit soaked in rum to one portion and fold gently by hand kneading for a long while until the fruit stops popping out of the dough and the dough looks smooth again.
• Flatten it gently to an oval, place the 40g marzipan shaped into a thin roll in the middle and roll up into a loaf. Place it in the Stollen tin and transfer to the oven if baking one at a time.
• For the nut Stollen, roll out the dough into a rectangle (about 30 by 40cm). Spread with the filling leaving an edge of 1-2 cm all round. Now roll it up from the shorter side, fold the long edges inwards and seal the seam. Place in the tin when available.
• Bake either or both Stollen for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 170C/325F/gas 3 and bake for further 35-40 minutes. The internal temperature at 3cm depth should be 96C.
• Take the tins out of the oven and turn down onto a chopping board. Mix the caster sugar with the cinnamon.
• Brush tops and sides with melted butter twice. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and transfer onto a cake rack to cool down.
• Dust with icing sugar when completely cold. Store loosely wrapped in parchment or in a plastic bag. Stollen will keep fantastically well for at least 2 weeks. I have never found how much longer, because there is never any left at that point.