Categories: pastry
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
- 1/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup very warm water (105-115 degrees)
- 2 pkg. active dry yeast
- 1 egg
- 3 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
- Filling
- 1 can (8oz.) almond paste (1 cup)
- 3/4 cup crushed zwieback (8)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 2 cups unsifted confectioners' sugar
- 3 to 4 Tbsp. milk
- Candied red cherries
- Angelica bits (a herb)
Directions
- In bowl, with wooden spoon beat butter and 1/4 cup flour until smooth. Spread on waxed paper (on wet surface) to 12 by 8 inch rectangle. Refrigerate on cookie sheet. Heat milk slightly. Add sugar and salt, stir to dissolve. Cool to lukewarm.
- Check temperature of water with thermometer. Pour into large bowl; sprinkle with yeast; stir to dissolve. Stir in milk mixture, egg and 3 cups flour; beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Mix in rest of flour with hands until dough leaves side of bowl.
- Refrigerate, covered, 1/2 hour. turn onto lightly floured pastry cloth; with covered rolling pin, roll into 16 × 12-inch rectangle. Place chilled butter mixture on half of dough; remo9ve paper. Fold other half of dough over butter; pinch the edges to seal.
- With fold at right, roll out from center to a 16 × 8 inch rectangle.
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From short side, fold dough into thirds, making three layers; seal edges; chill 1 hour. Repeat rolling and folding (if butter breaks through, brush with flour); seal edges. Chill 1/2 hour.
- Roll; fold again; seal edges; chill, wrapped in foil, 3 hours or over-night. Roll half of dough into 22 × 8 inch strip. (Chill other half.) Cut into thirds lengthwise. Mix filling ingredients. Fill center of each strip with 1/3 cup; close edges over filling. Braid.
- Form wreath, 6 inches across in center, on brown paper on cookie sheet; seal ends. Let rise in warm place 1 hour—until doubled. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 1/2 hour. Cool slightly on rack. Mix sugar and milk; spread half over pastry. Decorate.
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makes 2