Christmas Stöllen

For as long as I can remember, breakfast on Christmas morning at our house my Mom's Christmas Stöllen. Mom didn't make any this year, so I stole her recipe and made it myself! So here's my "Stolen Christmas Stöllen" recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2c unsifted flour
• 1/2c sugar
• 1tsp salt
• 1 pkg yeast
• 1c milk and 1/2c butter (heat together until blended and let cool)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2Tbs lemon rind
• 1/2c raisins
• 1/2c halved glace cherries
• 1/2c citron (sliced thin)
• 1/4c dark rum
• 3c unsifted flour (or more)
• Butter (I used about half a stick here)
• Powdered sugar
  

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir together 2c flour, sugar, salt & yeast.
Add cooled butter/milk mixture to flour mixture
Add eggs and lemon, mix well



Combine fruit with the rum
Blend into batter



Add additional flour until the mixture cleans the bowl.
Turn dough out onto floured board and kneed until smooth & elastic (not sticky)


Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once so that grease is on top
Cover with a clean towel and let rise
Punch down and kneed briefly
Shape into loaves, fold over, almost in half
Place loaves on greased baking sheet
Cover and let rise a second time



Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
*now comes the BEST part*
While still hot, rub loaves with butter!!!



Allow to cool completely
When cool, dredge with powdered sugar



Happy Christmas Everyone!

Christina