German Stollen With Cocoa and Almonds

My mother-in-law gave me this awesome recipe for a sweat bread treat. My husband used to eat a whole one with milk when he was studying in college. It sounds like it is very time consuming, but the work is a little bit here, and a little bit there. It fits in well with a busy, at-home schedule . . when you are cleaning, doing laundry, or just hanging out. My family enjoys this any time of the day. This recipe makes two. I icing one up, and freeze the other for later. When you are ready, take the stolen out and set on countertop overnight. Icing it up and enjoy.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 2 Stollens

Ingredients

• DOUGH

• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 1 (1/4ounce) packet dry yeast
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  egg
• 4  cups flour

• COCOA MIXTURE

• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons  cocoa
• 1  cup  ground almonds

• ICING

• 1  teaspoon  almond extract
• 1  cup powdered sugar
•  milk

Directions

1. DOUGH:
2. Melt 1/2 Cup of butter in 1/2 cup milk. Let cool till lukewarm.
3. Dissolve 1 packet of rapid rise yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl.
4. Stir into yeast mixture 1/4 C sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 egg slightly beaten.
5. Add milk and butter mixture to yeast mixture.
6. Stir in 3 /12 - 4 1/2 cups flour. You'll know when you have enough flour because the bread mixture isn't sticky any more and the sides of the mixing bowl are clean.
7. Set aside and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). If your kitchen isn't warm, you can pre-heat the oven to warm. Turn the oven off and set the bowl inside.
8. COCOA MIXTURE:
9. Combine 1/2 C sugar, 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa, and 1 cup of ground almonds.
10. Add milk until spreading consistency. Not too thin. Sticky and spreadable.
11. PREPARE STOLEN.
12. Punch down dough and split into halves.
13. Roll dough into rectangle and place on large baking sheet.
14. Spread inside mixture down middle of rectangle.
15. Fold right side over cocoa mixture. Fold the left side over the top (overlap).
16. Let rise 30-45 minutes.
17. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
18. ICING:
19. 1 Cup of Powdered Sugar.
20. 1 t Almond Extract.
21. Add milk until spreading consistency.
22. This recipe makes two German Stolens. Icing one, and freeze the other for later yummies.