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………………………Merry Merry Christmas……….A Christmas tradition handed down to me by Jac and her Mom, and her Mom’s Mom and so forth is making a Stollen on Christmas Eve, and cooking it Christmas Day for breakfast. It takes the whole day to prepare the dough…..MACE and CURRANTS….are the secret ingredients!……After many rises and lots and lots of kneading it is ready to form the bread….Jac always told me, as I helped her to knead the dough….” when you think you have kneaded the dough enough…..knead it some more!”…..Then you make nine balls of dough…Four large ones, three medium sized ones, and two smaller ones…As you roll each ball out to make long ropes you add the currants and roll each rope in them….Then you start to braid. This was something Jac always asked me to do, because she just couldn’t get the knack of it. The braiding was something her Mom always did, and now it was my job. After the first four ropes were braided, you did the same process with the three ropes and then the two ropes….always rolling them in currants. Then you piles each braid on top of one another [photos at lower left], and cover it with dish towels, and put in a warm place to rise over night…..On Christmas morning, if all went well, the bread has risen [middle picture] to double the size if not more. Then place it in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees on the middle rack, and let it cook until it’s a golden brown. Stick in a tooth pick to make sure it’s cooked through and through, and then take out. Immediately baste the entire bread with melted butter. I usually use 3/4s of a stick….yummy……….When it has cooled enough, sprinkle powered sugar all over……..Jac used to call this “snow on the mountain”…….Then it’s ready to slice and eat!…….I had two big slices this morning….one for me and one for Jac! I don’t think she would have been happy with my gluttony!!!!! It came out perfectly……….One thing I know for sure….I know she is very proud of me for carrying on the tradition!……..Merry Christmas EVERYONE!