Holiday Bread

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup dried tart cherry, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel
• 2 large eggs
• confectioners' sugar (optional)

Recipe

• 1 1. preheat oven to 325 degrees f. grease large cookie sheet. in large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. with pastry blender or using two knives scissors-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. stir in ricotta, dried cherries, pecans, vanilla, lemon peel, and eggs until well combined.
• 2 2. turn dough onto lightly floured surface. with floured hands, gently knead dough two or three times to blend. with floured rolling pin, roll dough into 10" by 8" oval. fold oval lengthwise, bringing top half over so that bottom of dough extends by about 1 inch.
• 3 3. place stollen on prepared cookie sheet. bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. transfer stollen to wire rack; cool completely. sprinkle with confectioners' sugar to coat just before serving if you like.