Ingredients
- • 2 pkg. rapid rise yeast
- • 3/4 cup lukewarm water
- • 4 cups evaporated milk (do not dilute use straight from the can)
- • 1 cup sugar
- • 4 cups flour
- • *1 Tbsp. ground cardamom
- • 1 1/2 cups butter
- • 3 cups sugar
- • 2 Tbsp. salt
- • 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- • 1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
- • 1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
- • 9 eggs
- • 12 cups flour
- • 3 cups raisins (white or dark)
- • 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm water. Set aside. Scald and cool to lukewarm the 4 cups
- milk. Add yeast and the 1 cup sugar, 4 cups of the flour and the cardamom to the
- lukewarm milk. Mix into a smooth sponge and set in a warm place for approximately 2
- hours. When sponge is done resting, melt and warm the butter. Stir the sugar, salt,
- vanilla and zest into the butter and add to the sponge. Gradually work in the flour
- until the dough is smooth and elastic. Knead for 5 minutes. Add nuts and raisins and
- knead another 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl and oil or butte dough to prevent crust
- from forming. Let rise until double in bulk. Roll into various sized balls and place in
- greased various sized metal cans you have saved. Oil the top of dough. Bake in a
- 350-degree oven. Baking time will vary depending on size of cans. When dough is done
- remove from pan and butter the crust. Place on baking rack to cool. *Note You may
- substitute almond or lemon extract for cardamom. Editors note: Easter Bread is
- consumed on Easter Sunday to break the Lenten Fast and used for forty days after
- Easter. Marie is one of Chuda's Children from Kenai. This recipe is not the traditional
- one because of the addition of peels and cardamom, which was not available in the
- villages. The rest is similar. This is a wonderful Easter Bread.
- The brightest and most colorful eggs are made by using vinegar, boiling water and Wilton's food coloring paste. I recommend wearing rubber gloves because this dye tends to stain your hands.
