Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Basic Dough
1 pkg active dry or 1 cake compressed yeast
1/2 c lukewarm water
1 c milk
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
2 eggs, well-beaten
Grated rind of 1 lemon
5 to 6 c unsifted all purpose flour
For Kulich Cakes
1/3 c pitted dried prunes, chopped
1/3 c chopped nuts
1/3 c candied lemon peel, chopped
For Double Braided Bread
1/2 c blanched almonds, chopped
1/2 c candied cherry, chopped plus some to sprinkle on top
1 egg beaten
Frosting
2 c confectioner's sugar
Milk
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Directions: |
Directions:Basic Dough
Sprinkle or crumble yeast into lukewarm water. Let stand for a few minutes without stirring, then stir to blend. Combine milk, sugar, salt, and butter in saucepan. Heat stirring until butter is melted. Gradually beat milk mixture into eggs. Cool to lukewarm, then stir in yeast mixture. Add lemon rind and beat in enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough out on a a heavily floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Put into a greased bowl. Grease top of dough, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Knead on lightly floured board.
Kulich Cake
Knead prunes, nuts and lemon peel into the dough. Cut into 3 equal pieces. Heavily grease three 1-pound shortening or coffee cans. Shape dough into balls and put into cans. Let rise in a warm place until doubled. Bake in preheated moderate oven (375º) 30 to 35 minutes or until richly browned. Unmold and cool on a rack. Spoon frosting over cakes, allowing it to drip generously down sides. Sprinkle the top of each cake liberally with colored sprinkles.
Double Braided Bread
Knead dough adding almonds and cherries. Cut into 4 equal pieces. With the fingers, roll three pieces of dough into 14 inch ropes. Braid ropes on a well-greased cookie sheet, turning ends under to seal. Cut remaining dough int three equal pieces. Roll these into 8 inch ropes. Braid and put in center of large braid. Brush top with beaten egg, let rise in warm place until doubled. Bake in preheated moderate oven (350º) 35 to 40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack. Spoon frosting over bread. Sprinkle with chopped candied cherries.
Frosting
Mix confectioner's sugar with enough milk to make a mixture the consistency of heavy cream. |
This recipe for Christmas Breads - Kulich or Double Braided is from