How to make Julekake

>From the book: Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a
Wisconsin Farm) http://ruralroute2.com

My mother was the daughter of Norwegian immigrants who
homesteaded our small Wisconsin dairy farm in the late 1800s.
Julekake was one of the goodies my mother baked for Christmas.

Julekake This recipe makes two large round loaves. • 2 cups milk
• 1 cup sugar • 1/2 cup butter (or margarine) • 2 packages of
yeast • 1/2 cup warm water • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon
cardamom (substitute cinnamon or nutmeg if you prefer) • 7 cups
flour • 1 cup of raisins • 1/2 cup of citron • 1/2 cup of red
candied cherries • 1/2 cup of green candied cherries

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter, milk, sugar and salt
until the margarine/butter has melted. Pour the milk mixture
into a large bowl and let it cool.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and add it to the milk
mixture. Add the cardamom (or other spice) and 3 cups of flour
and beat until smooth. Mix in the fruit and 4 cups of flour.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. If the dough becomes too
sticky, knead in another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour.

Put the dough in a greased bowl and cover and let it rise in a
warm place until doubled, or about one hour.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. Knead for a minute or
so, and then form each half into rounds. Place the dough on a
large greased cookie sheet and let rise for 45 minutes. (The
loaves will become very large, so be careful not to put them too
close to the edge of the cookie sheet.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. If the loaves start
turning too brown, turn the oven down to 325. After you remove
the loaves from the oven, brush them with shortening while they
are still hot. This will help the crust to stay soft. Remove
loaves from the cookie sheet. Allow the julekake to cool before
slicing. 

If you prefer, after the julekake is cool, drizzle on powdered
sugar icing and decorate with cherries, walnuts or pecans.

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