Christmas Stollen

Ingredients: 2 pounds flour 100 grams yeast 1/2 pound sugar 2 packages vanilla sugar (Dr. Oetker brand comes in little packages. I can get it at a German store in Reno.) You can also make your own easily, but I'll have get the amount -- think it's about 1 tablespoon in the package.) Assuming you cannot get it in Lincoln. REMIND ME. 1 pound raisins 1/2 pound almonds 1/2 pound butter 1/2 pound Fat (probably something like Crisco) 1 teaspoon salt Juice and (grated) rind of one large lemon 1 shot glass Schnapps (probably an ounce of rum) 1/4 liter milk.

DIRECTIONS; The evening before: The 1/2 pound butter and fat heated together and then left to cool -- will become solid again. Also mix the raisins with the rum and lemon juice and let stand overnight. The next day, dissolve the yeast in the warmed-up milk (@115-120 degrees F. Add to flour, knead til blisters form in dough, and leave to rest for 2 hours. Then mix in all other ingredients, knead til dough is again "alive". Let stand another hour. (These are all the instructions I got.) However, I assume you would shape it in the somewhat rectangular form that you hopefully remember and bake til done -- toothpick test. My guess would be at 350 and start testing after an hour.

Like I said, you need to do some test ones before Christmas, as I expect a perfect one. I am very happy you are carrying on this tradition.

Yummy