Step by step guide how to make a Quarkstollen. This stollen is made with thick curd, almonds and rum raisins and stays moist for several weeks.

1. Quarkstollen A German Christmas Sweet

2. Just in time for Christmas I take on the most traditional of all German Christmas sweets, the Stollen.

3. My version is a Quarkstollen. The traditional Stollen is done with yeast, but Quarkstollen is raised with baking powder and includes Quark, a thick curd.

4. Stollen keeps for several weeks so I make two.

5. Ingredients (for 2 big Stollen): 1 kg whole-wheat flour 250 grams butter 4 eggs 2 cups sugar 3 cups quark (600 ml) 400 g almond slivers 400 g raisins 200 ml rum raisins 2 tbsp vanilla essence 4 tbsp baking powder For the topping: 100 g butter 100 g icing sugar

6. Crack the eggs into a big bowl, add the sugar and the vanilla essence and stir well. Incorporate the soft butter, the quark (or thick curd), the almonds and the raisins. Combine the flour with the baking powder, sift it, knead the dough with your hands and form two big Stollen.

7. This dough is too moist to roll it out like traditional Stollen. I formed two big rounds and flipped them over. Place the Stollen on a buttered cookie or a silicone sheet.

8. Bake the Stollen for about 70 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (360 degrees Fahrenheit).

9. Melt the butter and brush it over the Stollen as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cover the Stollen lavishly with icing sugar.

10. When the Stollen has cooled down, wrap it well with cling film. You can keep it for several weeks.