Best Christmas Fruit Bread Recipes

SCANDINAVIAN CHRISTMAS FRUIT BREAD (JULEKAGE) RECIPE

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixer bowl. Add milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, egg, shortening, raisins, citron and 2 cups of the flour.
• Beat on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds.
• Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 2 minutes.
• Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
• Punch dough down; shape into round loaf. Place in greased 9-inch round layer pan. Brush top lightly with butter; let rise until double, about 45 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until loaf is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Brush with butter. Spread with Glaze. Cool on wire rack.
• Glaze:.
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar.
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
• Mix confectioners' sugar and water until smooth and of desired consistency.

TRADITIONAL GERMAN CHRISTMAS FRUIT BREAD - KLETZENBROT

Steps:

• Place the dried pears, figs, prunes, raisins or sultanas, candied orange and lemon peel, and the spices into a medium saucepan with a cup of water, the sugar, and the kirsch or rum. Bring just to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Immediately remove from heat and cover; set aside to steep.
• Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in a half cup of the lukewarm steeping liquid, and let sit until bubbling (about 5 minutes).
• Gradually stir the flour into the yeast mixture, adding a little more liquid or flour if necessary to make a firm dough. Wrap the dough with a clean tea towel, and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
• Gradually add the nuts, candied orange and lemon peel, and the dried fruit and knead well into the dough. Form the dough into a loaf. Leave to rise for an hour again.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter the baking sheet (or line with parchment paper), and bake the loaf for about an hour (50 to 60 minutes).
• Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing bread to rack. Allow to cool completely.
• Wrap bread in cling wrap and then in foil, and place in a cool spot or the refrigerator to mellow for up to several weeks.
• Allow bread to come to room temperature before serving. Serve sliced with or without fresh butter, as desired. Good with a cuppa. Frohes Fest!

CHRISTMAS FRUIT BREAD

Steps:

• cream butter and brown sugar together.beat in eggs, stir in mashed bananas, apples and orange zest --
• in separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and add to banana mixture.add cranberries.stir just till blended.
• bake in a greased 9x5" loaf pan.at 350* for 40 minutes or tests done when a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• turn the pan on its side and cool 10 minutes.
• remove from the pan and continue cooling on rack.
• wrap in plastic wrap and serve the next day.