Christmas Tree Bread

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1/2 cup chopped raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped candied cherry
• 1/4 cup chopped candied citron peel
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cups cake-and-pastry flour, sifted
• 2 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons shortening
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup 10% cream

Recipe

• 1 to make filling---------------.
• 2 combine raisins, cherries, citron, 1/3 cup sugar, boiling water and lemon juice in heavy saucepan cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved, and mixture has thickened somewhat.
• 3 cool.
• 4 to make dough-------------------.
• 5 sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and 3 tbsp sugar.
• 6 cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• 7 add the lemon rind.
• 8 combine the beaten egg with the cream and add to the dry ingredients stirring lightly with a fork until all the flour is dampened.
• 9 turn the soft dough out on a floured board and kead for about 30 seconds.
• 10 to make tree----------------.
• 11 cut a walnut sized piece from the dough and divide remaining dough in half and roll each half out into a tree shaped triangle.
• 12 the rolled dough should be about 1/8 inch thick.
• 13 place one triangle on greased baking sheet.
• 14 spread filling over this triangle leaving a 1/4" border on all three sides.
• 15 moisten this edge.
• 16 lay second triangle over the first and press edges together to seal.
• 17 with a sharp knife cut 4 slits on each side of the tree, cutting to within 1/2" of the centre.
• 18 twist the tips upward to look like branches and expose the filling.
• 19 roll the small piece of dough into a cylinder and place at the bottom of the tree to make the trunk.
• 20 bake in 400 f oven for 20-25 minutes.
• 21 cool slightly and frost with fondant or icing sugar glaze along the branches.
• 22 serve warm.