Makes 6 12-by-4- inch loaves

Hands on: 1 hour

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Total time: About 2 hours, 15 minutes

This recipe can be prepared in stages. The dried fruit can be measured and chopped. The marzipan can be sliced and covered. The raisins, cranberries and currants can be plumped. The dry ingredients can be measured and combined and the fat cut into the mixture before actual assembly and baking.

1 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dried zante currants

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 to 2 cups dark rum, depending on how much rum flavor you want

1/2 pound (1 cup) candied cherries, cut into 4 pieces

1/4 pound (1/2 cup) candied citron

1/4 pound (1/2 cup) candied orange peel

1/4 pound (1/2 cup) candied lemon peel

1 cup plus two tablespoons sliced almonds

1 tablespoon almond extract

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 to 3/4 pound marzipan (1 1/4 cans, approximately)

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon salt

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, divided

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) margarine, divided

1 cup small curd cottage cheese

Cooking spray

1 cup sifted confectioners? sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the raisins, currants and cranberries in small bowls. Warm the rum and pour over fruit, covering completely. Let set until plumped. While fruit is plumping, cut in half any large candied peels. Mix candied citron, orange peel and lemon peel together. Place almonds in a small bowl and sprinkle with the almond extract. Stir to coat almonds completely. Beat eggs and add lemon extract and vanilla extract; beat to mix completely. Cut marzipan slices about 1/8-inch thick and cover with plastic wrap to keep from drying out. Sift and measure flour, and place in a large bowl. Add sugar, mace, cardamom, salt and baking powder. Use pastry blender or fork to completely mix dry ingredients together.

Cut in 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) each of butter and margarine until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add cottage cheese. Add beaten egg mixture. Add plumped fruit, drained of excess rum. Knead into dough with your hands or in a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add flour if dough is too moist or add more cottage cheese if too dry. Do not overknead dough.

Take dough and lay on a floured surface. Shape into a long loaf (like a fat cigar) and slice with pastry knife into 6 to 8 loaves, depending on desired size. Flatten dough slices into an oval shape with a crease down the middle (use flat of your hand to shape crease) to facilitate folding over after placing fillings on the dough. Place marzipan, slightly overlapping, next to crease in a single layer. (Make sure you parcel out the marzipan to fill all the loaves.) Fill to about 1/2 inch from the sides and top of loaf. Place candied fruit mixture on top of marzipan, remembering to divide evenly for the other loaves.

Using fingers, pinch or crimp the dough together; place on lightly sprayed cookie sheets. Melt remaining butter and margarine together in a small saucepan or liquid measuring cup in the microwave. Liberally baste the loaves and place in oven. Set time for 10 minutes and check loaves. If golden brown, reduce temperature to 325 and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes. Baking times depend on size of the loaves. Be careful not to let the fruit in the batter get too brown, as this will cause the fruit to taste bitter.

When baking is complete, liberally baste loaves again with butter. Allow to cool completely. Carefully remove loaves using 2 turning utensils. Baste bottoms of loaves and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Wrap loaves tightly and store in a cool place or the refrigerator. The longer the stollen is kept, the more the flavors develop. To serve, sprinkle again with powdered sugar and cut into 1/4-inch slices.

Per slice: 75 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 1 gram protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 4 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 7 milligrams cholesterol, 70 milligrams sodium.