Christmas Tree Bread
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, yolk and white separated
3/4 cup (4 ounces) diced dried fruit mix
2- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
(or 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon and 3/4 tsp ground cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut to small pieces
Granulated sugar
Check to see that one rack is in bottom third of oven and heat oven
to 425 degrees F. Measure milk in a 2-cup measure, add sugar and egg
yolk, stir to mix well. Stir in dried fruit. Let stand until ready to
use. Put flour, baking powder, spice, and salt into a large bowl,
stir to mix well. Add butter and cut in with pastry blender or rub in
with fingers, until mixture looks like fine granules. Stir milk
mixture and pour over flour mixture. Stir with a fork until a soft
dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and give
10 kneads. (If very sticky, let stand 3 or 4 minutes or add a little
more flour.) Cut off about one-fourth of the dough. Put remaining
dough on an ungreased cookie sheet at least 16 inches long. Using
both rolling pin and fingers, pat and roll dough into a flat triangle
about 12 inches long and 9 inches wide across the bottom. With
scissors, make about ten diagonal cuts down each long side of the
triangle, cutting to within about 1 inch of the center. Shape a small
piece of reserved dough into a trunk at bottom of tree and remaining
dough into a "pot." Dough may now be covered with plastic wrap and
refrigerated for a couple of hours or frozen for up to 2 weeks. Bake
tree 10 minutes. Beat egg white with a fork until broken up. Brush
over hot bread, sprinkle with sugar. Bake 5 to 8 minutes longer,
until light brown. With two spatulas, carefully transfer tree to a
wire rack. If possible, cool at least 2 hours before serving. Let
guests break off small pieces. Yield: 10-12 Small Servings
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