Christmas Yummies...

I was given a link to an ebook of 80 Christmas recipes from around the world and I wanted to share it with all of you! Click here to download.

Here's one of the recipes. I have someone special to me that absolutely loves Stollen, but usually from a German bakery... I'll have to try this recipe and see if it comes close.

Christmas Stollen (Sweden)

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 pkt active dry yeast
5 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup candied citron
1/2 cup candied cherries
1 cup slivered almonds
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 cup seedless raisins
2 eggs
8 oz butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp salt

Method:
Finely chop the candied citron and cherries. Reserve.
Pour the milk into a saucepan. Heat to scalding. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the salt. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes.
Pour the lukewarm milk mixture into the yeast solution. Stir in 1 cup of the flour. Beat the dough with an electric mixer or an egg beater until smooth. Cover the bowl with a cloth towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 90 mn).
Punch down the dough in a bowl. Fold in the citron, the cherries, the almonds, the lemon rind and the raisins.
Add the beaten eggs, 3/4 cup of the softened butter and the nutmeg. Stir in 3 more cups flour and mix the dough until smooth.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead, working in enough of the remaining flour to make the dough smooth and elastic.
Divide the dough into halves. Roll each portion into an oval, about 1/2" thick.
In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter and brush it over the ovals.
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon with the remaining 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Sprinkle the mixture over the ovals.
Fold the ovals in half, lengthwise. Place them on a buttered baking sheet. Twist the ends of each oval toward each other to form a crescent.
Loosely cover the ovals with wax paper and a cloth towel. Let the Stollen rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 60 mn).

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the Stollen 45 minutes or until golden.
In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar with enough of the hot water to make a thick icing. Dribble the icing over the hot Stollen.

christmas, holidays, holiday recipes