Julekage....

Tomorrow we are traveling to Colorado. Nederland to be precise. This will be my first Christmas entailing any significant travel... and I am actually looking forward to it. It will be great to have my first Rocky Mountain Christmas with my new family. But there was a day when Christmas was a bit simpler. It only involved driving to Mom and Dad's house in the hills of Vermont... and after Dad died in '97, Mom and I would drive down to Connecticut to be with my brother and his family. Although those early Christmases may seem overly simple and perhaps even a tad boring compared to skating at the Rockefeller Center, they were wonderful.

The days and nights leading up to the holiday were filled with nights of holiday movies, popcorn and games late into the evening as we listened to Christmas carols on WDEV out of Waterbury. The folks were always making some various treat for us. Spritz cookies, rum balls, and Mom's Scandinavian holiday bread, Julekage.

It was a slightly sweet bread with candied citron and other fruits, and a very subtle hint of cardamom. A slice toasted with butter was heaven... provided you didn't get a scorching hot piece of candied fruit stuck to the top of your mouth. That would be as close as I would ever come to having napalm stuck to me.

However, any risk of bodily harm was well worth it. And none of my friends' families ever had anything like it. To me, it was our own little Christmas secret... our own tradition. Now, twenty-five or so years later, we are building our own traditions, and Julekage is one that I want to continue. Unfortunately, it won't happen this year (too bad as I now have the bad-assed Kitchenaid). The holiday is upon us and our travel begins before the sun comes up tomorrow... but in the spirit of the holiday, I will share. Maybe, if there is someone out there reading this blog, Julekage will make it to some family's holiday table.

If anyone out there does make this, feel free to substitute mixed candied fruit for the citron... and feel free to share! Here is the recipe, courtesy of my mom. And it's worth repeating, this is best served toasted with ample butter.... Enjoy!!

Julekage (pronounced YULE-KAGga)

2 cakes compressed yeast (or 2 scant tbs. dry active yeast.)
1/2 C lukewarm water
3 C scalded milk
1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. salt
1/2 C chopped candied citron
2 C golden raisins (or regular)
1/2 C candied cherries
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
10-11 C flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Pour scalded milk over butter and when lukewarm add yeast, sugar, salt and about one-half of flour. Beat well for 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly, add fruit, cardamon and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead and place in greased bowl to rise until light. Then knead and let rise again. Shape into five round loaves and place on greased pans to rise for about an hour or until light. Brush tops with egg yolk and milk mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. After removing from oven brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

(Thanks Mom, for sharing this recipe... and for all those wonderful Christmases. We love you!!! Merry Christmas!!)