A gift of Stollen, very disappointing!

I’ve been helping Doodle with her research. I’d put M&S ahead of Lidl and Aldi though but it’s three years now since I’ve been able to have some from there. I obviously need to update my research from Aldi and Lidl to make an informed decision.
Seriously I’ve never thought of buttering it, the bites never seem dry.

Loved the tale of your little girl learning to read and thinking it was ‘stolen’ from Sainsbury’s Maw that was too cute!’

I love to hear children learning to read. Our L’il Miss was singing “oh little town of Bethlehem” yesterday but at 5y next month pronounced it as she’d seen it and sang BET le Hem! Made me chuckle.

Sorry to derail folks I’ve never eaten stollen. ??

After extensive research Aldi used to do a rum version which was by far the best ever stollen. Very moist and to die for, so much so, I gained almost a stone in weight! But that was a few years ago now. I've not found a replacement. Aldi’s non rum version is very good though and it really shouldn't be dry.
Is the fruit ok for birds? I wasn't sure if sultanas and raisins were foods they could have?

I think they are awful! Claggy, over sweet and best given to the birds. I used to be given one every year by a lovely German neighbour and I could never bring myself to tell her how I felt. One year I took it to my art class with the hope of passing it on to someone who would appreciate it. No takers……

Our Lidl stollen was lovely , as are their stollen bites. Would custard help to cheer it up?

A genuine Dresdener Stollen is quite dry. I once bought one from an expensive cake shop in Dresden and was disappointed.

My husband made one and it was delicious and moist——- but you could toast yours and put on lots of butter,poor neighbour
would be sad to hear it was so dry,nice thought though.

Oh Witzend! You just triggered lovely memories of my gran’s barmbrack. As well as soda farls and delicious little griddle cakes called “slims”. She never measured or weighed anything, but the results were unfailingly scrumptious.

Love Stollen. There are differences in what we find in stores here compared to locally German made ones. The mass produced for UK are quite moist whilst home made or traditionally made tend to be less moist but do have more taste. Try warming slightly and dipping in or pour melted butter over if dry.

No not a duff one - that is what they are supposed to be like. I'm with you on these - can't see the reason for having them!

Make a trifle with it - line a bowl with sliced stollen, soak it in loads of sherry (or your favourite tipple). Shop bought custard, whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Easy!

Anyone watching Christmas University Challenge last night will have heard Stollen described by Jeremy Paxman as a cake-like bread. So I always butter it - and love it!

We have some lovely new neighbours from Turkey... They gave us some homemade corn bread when we visited - neither I nor DH liked it at all - very dry and too much baking soda - but we were polite. And now the family think we love it and give us more whenever they make it for themselves. So now what do we do?

I love stollen. They vary a lot, some of them do look pretty dry but they're still delicious. I'd never use butter on then.

We cut up a stollen yesterday and were also disappointed by how dry it was and very little fruit or marzipan to moisten it. Perhaps Germans like it that way? It wasn’t cheap and it was nicely boxed but …… won’t be buying again.
Bread and butter pudding is a good idea ?

Sputnik so as not to waste it can you gift it to the local Food Bank?
There will be Turkish/Greek/Cypriot people who will be glad to have it. When you live abroad it is always nice to get familiar foods from your homeland.