Vegan Stollen and a Tea
It’s the time of year to fill your kitchen with the aromas of warm spices and sweet delights. For me, that means preparing Vegan Stollen, Homemade Marzipan and Winter Fruit Black Tea Stew
I don’t tend to go over the top during the holiday season and prepare too many special dishes. I like to keep things simple. One exception, though, is my vegan version of the classic German sweet bread Stollen. I find it irresistible during the holiday season – especially when it is filled with a log of homemade marzipan!
As a bonus this week, I offer one of my favorite and unique preparations – something I first learned while working in a high-end Zürich restaurant. It is an unusual recipe and preparation, but it’s also simple and amazing when you pair my winter fruit and black tea stew with a scoop of your favorite vegan ice cream.
I hope you try these recipes during the holiday this year. Who knows – maybe they will turn into a regular part of your future holidays?
Please feel free to leave a comment below or share your creations with me or on your social media sites. I am always happy to hear from you or answer your questions.
Vegan Stollen
Converting a traditional recipe to a vegan version is an obsession of mine. I try hard to preserve the integrity of a recipe while breathing new life into its soul and making the recipe healthier…more respectful of living beings…more respectful of the world we live in.
An example of what I’m talking about is converting the wonderful German Christmas bread known as Stollen. This brioche-like bread is filled with the goodness of Christmas flavors…candied citrus, almonds, raisins, lots of warm spices and of course, a healthy glug of rum.
Veganizing this recipe presented me with three challenges. The original Dresden recipe has a texture that is something between a cake and a sweet bread. The unusual texture is created by using butter, milk and eggs…and the role each of these ingredients must be understood before replacing them. These are not impossible challenges but it did involve about a dozen attempts to get the flavor and texture just right.