German Stollen Recipe

Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, ground nutmeg and crushed cardamom seeds. Stir in the ground almonds. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse sand. In a blender, cream the egg with the cream cheese, vanilla, almond extract and brandy. Pour it into a bowl and stir in the dried fruit. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, until everything is well-blended. Work the dough into a ball and turn it out on a lightly floured board. Knead it for a few minutes, just until it is smooth. Shape it into an oval, about 10 inches long and 8 inches wide. With the blunt edge of a knife, crease it just off center, lengthwise. Fold the smaller side over the larger and place the stollen on an ungreased baking sheet. You may want to brush it lightly with melted butter before baking. Bake the stollen in a preheated 200 degrees celsius oven for about 45 minutes. Allow it to cool slightly before dusting it with confectioners' sugar.