Activity 1 March 2007

From Ann Ball’s Catholic Traditions in the Home and Classroom, p. 67.

Kugelhupf

½ c. milk
water
1 pkg. yeast
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
flour
2 eggs
½ c. melted margarine
½ c. chopped raisins
1 tsp. lemon rind
margarine to grease pan
15 or 16 blanched almonds
2 tbsp. bread crumbs or finely ground almonds

In a mixing bowl, pour ½ c. of scalded milk, cool until warm. As the milk cools, soften yeast in

¼ c. warm water. Add sugar, salt, and 1½ c. of flour, mixing well. Add dissolved yeast and beat until smooth. Add eggs, beating thoroughly. Add melted margarine and beat with electric mixer on medium speed about five minutes. Scrape batter down from the sides of the bowl, cover and let rise to double, about an hour and a half.

While the batter rises, prepare the pan. Use a two-pint cake mold or a seven-inch angel-cake pan. Grease pan generously with margarine and sprinkle fine bread crumbs or finely ground almonds in pan, shaking to coat the inside of the pan with crumbs. Arrange blanched almonds in a design in the bottom of the pan.

When batter has doubled, stir it down and mix in chopped raisins and grated lemon rind. Spoon batter carefully on top of almonds. Cover and let rise again to double, about an hour and a quarter. Bake in a moderate oven, 350 degrees, for 45 to 50 minutes. Check after 15 minutes, and if cake is turning brown, lay a piece of foil over cake for rest of baking time. When done, turn out onto a wire cake rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar if you wish. A design can be made on the top of the cake by putting a scalloped paper doily on the cake and sifting powdered sugar on the cake. Then remove the doily.

Seven-Minute Frosting

2 egg whites
1½ c.sugar
5 tbsp. cold water
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
1½ tsp. light corn syrup
1¼ tsp. vanilla

In the top of a double boiler, beat all ingredients except vanilla until thoroughly blended. Place over rapidly boiling water. Beat constantly with a rotary beater or a wire whisk for seven minutes. Remove icing from heat and add vanilla. Continue beating until the frosting is of the right consistency to spread. Frosts 1 two-layer cake.