Recipe - Easter Crown Bread

3 cup Allpurpose flour; (divided
use) (up to 31/2)
One fourth cup Granulated sugar
1 pack Active dry yeast
1 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Warm milk
2 tablespoon Softened butter or margarine
2 Eggs
One half cup Chopped mixed candied fruit
One fourth cup Chopped blanched almonds
One half teaspoon Aniseed
5 Uncooked eggs
Nontoxic egg coloring
Vegetable oil

To decorate this pretty Easter crown, you will need 5 colored eggs but they
must be UNCOOKED. Be sure to use nontoxic dyes as you color them.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add
the milk and butter and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes on
medium. Add the eggs and One half cup flour and beat on high for 2 minutes.

Stir in the fruit, nuts, and aniseed, mixing well. Stir in enough remaining
flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and
knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 to 8 minutes). Place in a greased
bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic
wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Meanwhile, color 5 eggs (leave them uncooked) with nontoxic dyes. When
dry, lightly rub them with vegetable oil.

Punch down the risen dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 24inch
rope. On a greased baking sheet, loosely twist the two ropes together. Form
into a ring and pinch the ends together. Gently split the ropes and tuck
the 5 colored uncooked eggs into the openings. Cover and let rise again
until doubled (about 30 minutes). Bake in a 350degree F. oven for 30 to 35
minutes or until a golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet and cool on a
wire rack.

Posted to recipeludigest by LSHW shusky@erols.com on Mar 23, 1998