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.

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