Holiday Breads

Stollens:
8 cardamom pods
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk, scalded
1/2 cup yellow raisins
1 cup dried cherries
3 tablespoons dark rum or orange juice
2 (.25-ounce) packages active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1/3 cup sugar, divided
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 8 pieces
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1 egg
2 egg yolks
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
10 ounces almond paste

Topping:
½ cup salted butter
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Place cardamom pods in a small bowl. Add hot milk. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Combine raisins and cherries with rum. Let stand.
3. Combine yeast, warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until mixture foams, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove cardamom pods from milk. Squeeze pods open. Scrape small black seeds into milk. Discard pods. Stir milk into yeast mixture. Add 1 cup flour; beat well. Cover this mixture (called the “sponge”) with plastic wrap; let rise 30 minutes.
5. As the sponge rises, place 2 cups flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Add salt and remaining sugar. Pulse 6 or 8 times.
6. Drain fruits, reserving soaking liquid. When the sponge is ready, add it to the processor; add lemon rind, egg and egg yolks, and soaking liquid from dried fruits. Process 20 or 30 seconds, until dough is thoroughly mixed. Then, with a few quick pulses, mix in fruits, almonds, and remaining ½ cup flour. Scrape dough, which will be quite tender, into a large oiled bowl, and refrigerate overnight.
7. In the morning, punch dough down, and divide into thirds. On a heavily floured board, gently pull and pat each portion of dough into a 10 x 14-inch oval. Divide almond paste into thirds. Cover half of each oval, the long way, with bits of almond paste, patting with your hands (don’t worry about getting it neat). Fold the other half of the dough over it, enclosing almond paste and making a pastry that is a plump half oval.
8. Gently transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, shaping if necessary. Let rise until dough is puffy, though not quite doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
9. Preheat oven to 350F.
10. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Using 2 spatulas, transfer to a wire rack; cool about 10 minutes.
11. Towards then end of baking time, place ½ cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When butter melts, lower heat and let butter cook until browned and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Don’t stir the butter as it browns, but you can shake the pan a little.
12. Spoon browned butter over the tops. Sift powdered sugar generously over tops. Let cool at least 20 minutes, until sugar sets slightly. Serve, in thin slices, slightly warm or at room temperature. Makes 3 stollens (10 servings each).
Note: Make stollens ahead, wrap well and freeze up to one month.

Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Holiday Breads," December 2009.

Per serving: 220 calories, 10g fat, 36mg chol., 4g prot., 27g carbs., 1.5g fiber,
92mg sodium.

Bread:
Cooking spray
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon anise extract
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
½ cup golden raisins
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon anise seeds

Glaze:
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, water or anisette (liqueur)
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon anise extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. To prepare bread, combine egg, yolks and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until thick and pale yellow. Beat in melted butter and anise extract.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir half the flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in half the milk, then the remaining flour, then the remaining milk. Stir in pine nuts, raisins, lemon rind and anise seeds. Use as a few strokes as possible to blend ingredients.
4. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Cool in pans on a wire rack about 10 minutes. Remove from pans and place on rack to cool completely.
5. To prepare glaze, gradually stir lemon juice into powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Add anise extract. When panettones are cool, pour or spoon glaze over tops, allowing it to drip down the sides. Makes 2 loaves (8 servings each).

Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Holiday Breads," December 2009.

Per serving: 280 calories, 10g fat, 55mg chol., 4g prot.,
46g carbs., 1g fiber, 200mg sodium.