Just like the log or Christmas shortbread, the Stollen, an Alsatian brioche made from candied fruit and almonds, is a staple of our end-of-year tables.

Laurent Mariotte and his columnists come back to the history of this pastry as well as its manufacturing secrets in the program La Table des bons vivants.

Cloves, cinnamon, almonds ... Inseparable flavors of Christmas that are often found in the famous Alsatian Stollen.

A brioche made from almonds as well as dried and candied fruits, macerated in brandy or rum.

But how is it carried out?

Where is she from ?

Laurent Mariotte and his columnists come back to the origins of this essential delicacy of the end of the year holidays in the program

La Table des bons vivants

. 

German heritage 

The Stollen is a brioche inherited from the famous German Christstollen that is eaten at Christmas time in homage to the baby Jesus, hence the name "Christ" attached to the name of the pastry.

"Besides, that's why we put this little veil of icing sugar over it, because it's supposed to represent the baby Jesus swaddled in his swaddling clothes", explains Olivier Poels.

>> Find La Table des bons vivant in podcast and in replay here 

A long term job

Among the essential fruits of Stollen, we find the Mirabelle de Lorraine, as the pastry chef Gilles Marchal explains: "I always use the Mirabelle de Lorraine harvested in June and which macerates until the brioche is made in month of December. "

The other important elements of any good self-respecting Stollen are prunes, a little bit of dates, almonds, hazelnuts and especially a zest of clementine.

But that's not all: for Gilles Marchal, the secret of a successful recipe is alcohol.

"I mix four different alcohols to make a Stollen."

We have been warned, but the pastry chef keeps some of the magic of Christmas to himself and has chosen not to reveal which ones ... 

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Chef tips

If you want to make your own brioche, here are some tips from Gilles Marchal.

You can reheat the oven to 180 ° C and put it in the oven at 160 ° C ... "This allows you to have a little more heat at the start to make the Stollen grow and rise immediately, then to cook it while sweetness afterwards ", explains the pastry chef.

Finally, don't worry if you can't eat it all at Christmas.

Know that a Stollen which ages is a Stollen which improves, like good wine.