posted by Gertie 12-13-102 4:21 AM
Poinsettia Bread
The following recipe makes 2 poinsettias. Have them ready ahead of time - just heat and serve.
3/4 cup Milk (or half evaporated milk and half water)
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Butter
1/4 cup warm water
1 cake Yeast, active dry, or 1 package
3 Eggs, well beaten
2 teaspoons grated Lemon rind
5 to 5 1/4 cups all-purpose Flour
3/4 cup Gumdrops, fruit-flavored, cut in small pieces,
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt and butter; cool to lukewarm.
Pour water into large bowl (cool to lukewarm for compressed yeast); sprinkle or crumble in yeast and stir to dissolve. Add milk mixture, eggs and lemon rind; mix well. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Add remaining flour to make soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.
Place in greased bowl; brush top with melted butter. Cover and let rise in warm place until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and turn out on lightly floured board; knead in gumdrops and nuts. Divide dough and put one half back in bowl, keep covered while you shape the first half.
To shape a poinsetia, cut off piece of dough about size of a small egg; round into ball and place in center of greased baking sheet; flatten with fingertips. Form remainder of dough into a roll 12 inches long and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into strip 4 inches long and set on cookie sheet radiating out from center. Use fingertips to flatten and shape each to look like a petal. Cover and let rise in warm place until double in bulk, about 1 hour.
Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 15 to 20 minutes. Frost while warm with confectioners sugar; beat until smooth. Sprinkle with red sugar. (To make your own, shake granulated sugar in a jar with a few drops red food coloring.) Decorate centers with small yellow gumdrops.