Christmas Stollen Bread and Butter Pudding

This Christmas Stollen Bread and Butter Pudding uses the fruit and marzipan crammed Stollen to make a super easy delicious pudding that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
Stollen hasn’t always been a part of our Christmas. I remember Mum coming home with it for the first time and me thinking “wow, marzipan in fruity bread, that’s a great idea”. I wonder when that was; irrespective of that, it’s now a firm favourite. For me it’s better than a mince pie; not so sweet, but seriously treaty nonetheless. I love the nuts that sometimes surround it. The amount of fruit inside and then that little surprise of marzipan in every slice. It feels little a naughty treat that isn’t too naughty and therefore it’s amazing how much I am able to justify eating.

I’ve seen some Stollen where the marzipan it cut up into little chunks and scattered throughout like the fruit. Others where it is missing completely. Neither of these rate highly for me. I like a good large sausage of marzipan running throughout the whole loaf and, yes, including those end pieces too. It only just being hidden by the smallest amount of bread encasing it secretly inside.

This Christmas Stollen Bread and Butter Pudding takes that delicious Stollen, slices it, slathers on butter and then layers it with roasted nuts. Two beaten eggs and 200ml of milk are then poured over. It bakes in the oven for 25 minutes and that’s it done, ready to serve. What comes out is hot fruity sweet bread and butter pudding with little surprises of marzipan. The nuts add their taste and texture. This pudding needs to stay in the oven until some of the crusts of the stollen are just beginning to catch and have become a little crispy. That gives you a little crunch at the crust and then the sweet goo of the middle of the slices of Stollen with the hidden treats of marzipan too. Could anything be easier and more comforting on a cold winters day?

I like it served with cream, Dave, of course, wants custard. Ice cream works well too, or Greek yoghurt. It’s also great by itself. If it doesn’t get finished (this has only happened when it’s just Dave and I eating it) a spoonful or two is delicious straight from the dish later on in the evening just before bed. But I don’t want to get all Nigella on you!

I don’t add sugar to the recipe, as the sugar around and in the Stollen is sufficient enough for my taste. But if you have a particularly sweet tooth try scattering 55g/2oz of sugar as you add the nuts.

Christmas Stollen Bread and Butter Pudding

• Author: Holly
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

• 500g/1lb2oz Stollen
• 55g/2oz butter
• 55g/2oz roasted chopped nuts, I like hazelnuts
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 200ml whole milk

Oven dish roughly 24cm/6½” x 31cm/12¼”

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C/400F/Gas mark 6.
2. Slice the stollen into slices a little under 1cm/⅓” and butter generously.
3. Place a layer of slices in the bottom of the oven dish – cut into smaller pieces to fit it into the layer if you need to. Scatter nuts over the top, repeat until all the stollen and nuts are used up.
4. Mix the eggs and milk together and pour over the stollen.
5. Place in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve while hot.