Christöllen

Christöllen Recipe:

Scald 2 cups milk.
Add 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/3 cups butter.
Stir until the butter is melted.
Let cool to lukewarm.
Add 2 yeast cakes or 2 envelopes of dry yeast dissolved in a little lukewarm water.
Stir in 2 cups flour.
Let the batter rest on a warm place until it is bubbly.
Stir in 4 beaten eggs and about 6 cups flour or enough to make a light but not sticky dough.
Knead in 1 1/2 cups each of chopped blanched almonds and raisins, softened in a little hot water and thoroughly drained.
Knead in 1/2 cup each of chopped citron and currants, 1/4 cup each of candied cherries and chopped candied pineapple.
Also knead in 1 tablespoon candied orange peel, the grated rind of 1 lemon and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Continue to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Cover the dough lightly.
Let it rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
Punch the dough down.
Divide it into three parts.
Let the parts rest for 10 minutes.
Flatten each part into an oval about 3/4 inch thick.
Brush with melted butter.
Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Fold the ovals not quite in half.
Pinch the ends firmly together.
Place the loaves on oiled baking sheets.
Brush the loaves with melted butter again.
Let them rise for about 1 hour or until double in bulk.
Bake in a hot oven (425ºF) for 10 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF and continue to bake for 40 minutes longer.
Cool, glaze with confectioners’ icing sugar and decorate with large pieces of fruit and nut.