Christmas Stollen

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup seedless raisin
• 1/2 cup chopped mixed candied fruits and peels (candied fruit cake mix)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated orange rind
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon, rind of
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (1/4 ounce) envelope fast rising yeast
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• confectioners' sugar (for dusting loaves)

Recipe

• 1 in small bowl, soak raisins and candied fruits in orange juice.
• 2 set aside 1 cup flour.
• 3 in large bowl, mix remaining flour, almonds, sugar, orange peel, lemon peel, salt and yeast.
• 4 in small sauce pan, heat milk, butter and water till hot to the touch (about 125°-130°f).
• 5 stir hot liquids into dry mixture.
• 6 stir in fruit/orange juice mixture and eggs.
• 7 mix in only enough reserved flour to make a soft dough.
• 8 knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 8-10 minutes).
• 9 cover dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• 10 divide dough into 2 pieces, roll each piece into a 10 x 7 inch oval.
• 11 fold long side of oval over to within 1/2 inch of the opposite side, seal seam.
• 12 place loaves on a greased baking sheets.
• 13 cover and let rise in a warm draft free place until doubled in size (about 50-60 minutes).
• 14 bake at 375°f for 25-30 minutes or until done.
• 15 remove loaves from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.
• 16 when cool, dust with confectioner's sugar.