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The stollen that stole the limelight Christmas 2015
A snow storm of icing sugar in every bite, stollen is a light cake filled with dried fruit and a marzipan centre - it dates back to 15th Century Germany but has recently been growing in popularity. Looking for soft cake, juicy fruit and flavoursome marizpan, our expert foodies led by Food Specialist Helen Wainwright tested 13 stollens from supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose, Lidl and Sainsbury's as well as luxury food stores like Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Bettys. Find out which one came out on top...
Expert tip
For an extra indulgent treat try slicing stollen and toasting it (no butter necessary!) - it's our new favourite festive treat.
Or if your stollen's somehow lasted long enough to go slightly stale why not try using it to make a bread and butter pudding - the marzipan will add a whole new dynamic to an everyday pud.
Bettys Christmas Stollen
Bettys Christmas Stollen costs £9.95 for 380g.
This is a lovely rich stollen from Bettys that is packed with generous amounts of fruit and soft marzipan. The dough is surprisngly light and airy. It's moreish too, with lots of flavour and a delicate flaky dough.
Price: £9.94
Available from: bettys.co.uk
Bettys Stollen Bites
Bettys Stollen Bites come in boxes of 15 bites that cost £10.49.
These bite-sized treats are laced with layers of sweet mazipan and plenty of tasty fruit. Our testers loved their melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Price: £10.49
Available from: bettys.co.uk
Lidl Favorina Mini Butter Stollen
The Lidl Favorina Mini Butter Stollen costs 99p for 250g. It is available in Lidl stores only.
This stollen has a soft and buttery dough with a strong almond flavour. The dried fruit is well distributed throughout, so every bite is full of flavour.
Price: £0.99
Available from: lidl.co.uk
Morrisons Stollen Loaf
The Morrisons Stollen Loaf costs £1.70.
This stollen loaf has a well dusted top with thick, powdery icing sugar. The almond paste is a little greasy and the dough is a little bready, but there is a good amount of fruit.
Price: £1.70
Available from: groceries.morrisons.com
The Co-operative Loved By Us Stollen Bites
The Co-operative Loved By Us Stollen Bites cost £2 for 153g.
These little bites from Co-op are the perfect mouthful. Testers liked their soft and squidgy texture and nutty flavour.
Price: £2.00
Available from: co-operativefood.co.uk
Tesco Stollen Loaf
The Tesco Stollen Loaf costs £7 for 630g.
There's a delicious combination of glacé cherries and almonds in the Tesco stollen. Although the flaked nut topping isn't traditional, it makes for an unusual and attractive twist.
Price: £7.00
Available from: tesco.com
Fortnum & Mason Stollen
Fortnum & Mason's stollen is a sugar crusted stollen sold in a wooden box, it costs £32.50.
This stollen, which comes presented in wooden box, is well filled with thick marzipan, plump fruit and is decorated with a sugar crust. It has a yeasty aroma and a dry texture.
Price: £32.50
Available from: fortnumandmason.com
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Fruit and Nut Stollen
Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Fruit and Nut Stollen costs £6 for a 540g pack.§
This is more like a bread than stollen dough. The flavour is delicately spiced but lacking in almond.
Price: £6.00
Available from: sainsburys.co.uk
Waitrose Heston Earl Grey Stollen Bites
The Heston Earl Grey Stollen Bites from Waitrose come in a pack of 12 bites for £7.
Heston's Earl Grey Stollen Bites have a strong bergamot aroma and flavour, as you might expect. While these are rich and buttery, though, all other flavour is lost within the overpowering Earl Grey.
Price: £7.00
Available from: waitrose.com
Marks and Spencer Stollen
The Marks and Spencer Stollen cake costs £8.
This stollen is richly fruited with a spicy aroma. It has a moist, almost soggy texture, and it is very sweet tasting, with large pieces of marzipan throughout.
Price: £8.00
Available from: marksandspencer.com
Harrods Stollen Ring
Harrods Stollen Ring is also available as mini bites, and is costs £22.95 per 1.5kg ring.
This stollen has a lovely marzipan flavour. The surrounding bread is dry and sweet but not carrying much spice.
Price: £22.95
Available from: harrods.com
Aldi Specially Selected Luxury Topped Stollen
The Aldi Specially Selected Luxury Topped Stollen costs £3.99 for 600g and is available in Aldi stores only.
Aldi's Luxury Topped Stollen is generously dusted in icing sugar with a fruity aroma, but it lacks spice and has no almonds. The stollen is also extremely dry and bread like.
Price: £3.99
Available from: aldi.co.uk
Aldi Specially Selected Stollen Bites
The Aldi Specially Selected Stollen Bites cost £2.59 for a 230g pack. They are only available in Aldi stores.
Flaked almonds on top give a decorative finish to these bites. They have a strong, almost overpowering, boozy rum aroma and flavour, and the flavour of the marzipan becomes a little lost.
Price: £2.59
Available from: aldi.co.uk
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