Stollen

Frosted and sprinkled with chopped nuts, this is a traditional Christmas bread at our home.

Stollen

Ingredients:

1 pkg. or cake of yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons shortening

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 3/4 cup sifted flour

1 egg beaten

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped citron*

1/4 cup chopped candied cherries

2 tablespoons melted butter

Confectioners sugar icing

1/3 cup chopped nuts

1 log almond paste (recipe of 12/18)

*note: I use candied pineapple instead of citron.

***

Directions:

Sprinkle or crumble yeast into water, let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Scald milk. Add shortening, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Cool to lukewarm. Sift flour: measure.

*

Add yeast to milk. Add egg. Add 1 cup flour. Beat thoroughly. Add raisins, citron (or pineapple), and cherries. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn out on a lightly floured board; knead in remaining flour. When smooth, place in greased bowl. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down. Turn out on board; let rest 10 minutes. Roll into an oval 3/4 inch thick. Brush 1/2 of oval with melted butter. Place a flattened log of almond past almost the length of the oval leaving about 1/2 inch at each end of the bread dough and about 3/4 inch wide. Fold dough over like a Parker House roll or divide dough and make two smaller versions. Do not press edges together. Place on greased baking sheet. Let rise until double in size, about 45 minutes. Bake in moderate oven 350 F about 30 minutes. Spread lightly with icing: sprinkle with nuts.