European Recipes:Swiss Recipes:Christmas Stollen

Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

       Title: CHRISTMAS STOLLEN
Categories: Breads, Swedish
       Yield: 1 servings

       1 c Milk
     1/2 c Plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
     1/2 ts Salt
       1 pk Active dry yeast
     1/4 c Warm water
       5 c Sifted all-purpose flour
     1/2 c Finely chopped candied
            -citron
     1/2 c Finely chopped candied
            -cherries
       1 c Slivered almonds
            Grated rind of 1 lemon
       1 c Seedless raisins
       2    Eggs, beaten
       1 c (2 sticks) butter, softened
     1/4 ts Nutmeg
     1/2 ts Cinnamon
     2/3 c Sifted confectioners' sugar
       2 tb Hot water

   Pour milk into a saucepan. Heat to scalding. Turn off heat; stir in 1/2 cup
   of the granulated sugar and the salt. Let mixture cool to lukewarm. In a
   large bowl, dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water; let mixture rest for
   5 minutes. Pour lukewarm milk mixture into yeast solution. Stir in 1 cup of
   the flour. Beat dough with electric mixer or egg beater until smooth. Cover
   bowl with cloth towel; let dough rise in a warm place 1 hour and 30 minutes
   or until double in bulk.

   Punch down dough in bowl; fold in citron, cherries, almonds, lemon rind and
   raisins. Add eggs, 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of the softened butter and the
   nutmeg. Stir in 3 more cups flour; mix dough until smooth. Turn dough out
   onto a lightly floured surface. Knead, working in enough of remaining flour
   to make dough smooth and elastic. Divide dough into halves; roll each
   portion into an oval, about 1/2" thick.

   In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter; brush it over ovals. In a small
   bowl, combine cinnamon with remaining 2 Tbsp granulated sugar; sprinkle
   mixture over ovals. Fold ovals in half, lengthwise. Place them on buttered
   baking sheet. Twist ends of each oval toward each other to form a crescent.
   Loosely cover ovals with wax paper and a cloth towel. Let Stollen rise in a
   warm place about 1 hour or until double in bulk.

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake Stollen 45 minutes or until golden. In a
   small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar with enough of the hot water to
   make a thick icing. Dribble icing over hot Stollen; let Stollen cool before
   slicing. Makes 1 Stollen.