What do we really know about German food? (Jägerbombs don’t count.)
Speaking for myself, I know about bratwurst that I favor charred and hidden under a heap of grilled onions and spicy mustard. I know about wienerschnitzel. Not only is it fun to say, it’s one the most delicious things to ever be fried. I know a real-deal, legit apple strudel makes a mockery of the Pillsbury toaster strudels of my childhood. I know those huge, chewy pretzels are just salty enough to keep me drinking more and more beer. I know a Black Forest gateau deserves to be on the Mount Rushmore of cakes. I also know enough about German food to know that German chocolate is not German at all and finds its roots in Dallas, Texas.
But I admit, I’d never heard of stollen, let alone tasted it. Until one morning at Niedlov’s Bakery and Cafe.
As Andy Williams famously crooned, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” which means I’d usually be pleading the virtues of fruitcake. To say fruitcake is polarizing is an understatement. Most people either absolutely love it or wish it never existed. As for myself, I can tolerate a slice of it, but only during “the most wonderful time of the year”
Instead, allow me to introduce you to the fruitcake’s less controversial, German cousin: stollen.