In my opinion, fruitcake has had kind of a raw deal in this country. When it’s not the punchline of some joke, it ends up in an endless and hellish circle of regifting, often for years. Basically, it’s the Rodney Dangerfield of Christmas desserts.

Now, not everyone in the world feels that way. The Germans, for instance, have been enjoying their Stollen for nearly 700 years. Strictly speaking, though, Stollen isn’t really a fruitcake. It’s more of a dense white bread, studded throughout with candied fruit, currants, orange and lemon zest, and a load of spices, including cardamom. The name comes from the common name for a post or boundary stone on the outskirts of a city. Sometimes, it’s known as Streizel, meaning loaf, or Christstollen, as it kind of resembles the Christ child in its swaddling clothes. That is, if you squint a lot.

Dresden, Saxony, is the birthplace of this yuletide treat, the result of a contest held way back in 1329 by the Bishop of Nauruburg, to see which of the city’s bakers could come up with a loaf festive enough to celebrate the season. They immediately rose to the challenge, coming up with breads loaded with fruit and nuts, which were, at the time, only available through import from Italy. The winning concoction was dubbed a Stollen on the spot, and the Bishop was so impressed that he set aside a portion of next year’s grain for the production of more.

Actually, there were two varieties of Stollen — one for the rich and another for the poor. The less well-to-do had to make do with a much plainer loaf, composed of flour, oats and water. A lot of this had to do with edicts issued by the Church forbidding the consumption of butter or milk during Advent. In 1647, Electors Kurfurst and Albrecht Ernst decided to take measures to correct this, and petitioned the Pope to have the butter ban abolished. The Pope agreed, and now proper Stollen was available to everyone.

Everyone went kind of nuts after that, baking up 30-pound loaves. It was eaten using only utensils expressly set aside for that purpose. The first piece was set aside to ensure the family would have enough money for next year’s loaf, and the last reserved to make sure they had food for the upcoming year.

In 1730, King Augustus II asked the bakers to create a Stollen that would put all others to shame. They responded with a loaf which required 2,200 pounds of flour and 3,600 eggs. The resulting 4,000-pound beast, which measured 27 feet long and 18 feet wide, was then paraded up to the palace, with the whole city in attendance. A 26-pound, 5 1/4 foot-long knife was required to cut it.

The popularity of this dessert thrives up to the present day. In Dresden, there is a market, known as the Streuzelmarket, which dates back to 1434. There, customers can purchase just about everything they need for their Christmas festivities. Of all the bakers, only 150 are allowed to put the King Augustus II seal on their products.

Stollen is a real piece of the holidays in Europe. The following recipe may even convert those who would turn up their nose at fruitcake.

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GERMAN STOLLEN

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped mixed candied fruit

1/4 cup dried currants

3/4 cup apple juice

4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup 2 percent milk

1/2 cup butter, cubed

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup chopped almonds

Confectioners’ sugar, optional

glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

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In a large bowl, soak raisins, fruit and currants in apple juice for 1 hour; drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add the eggs, zest and extract; beat until smooth. Stir in the almond, fruit mixture and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 12×8-in. oval. Fold one long side over to within 1 in. of the opposite side; press edges lightly to seal. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Dust with confectioners’ sugar or combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over loaves.

Recipe adapted from tasteofhome.com.

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