Christmas Kulich
Description
Perfect with tea and coffee. A delicious festive dessert from France. Prepare the sponge – rub the yeast with sugar, pour warm milk over it, add a cup of flour, mix thoroughly and leave in a warm place for 2–3 hours. Add egg yolks, sugar, another cup of flour, orange liqueur, vanilla, orange zest to the dough and knead well. Then add softened butter, a pinch of salt, raisins and candied fruits, shape into a ball and let rise for 40–50 minutes. Divide the dough into molds, let rise slightly, then make a small cross-shaped cut on top and place a piece of butter into the cut. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and continue baking for another 35 minutes. Cool the finished cakes, remove from molds and serve. Serve cooled or slightly warm.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
The day before preparing, soak the candied fruits and raisins in brandy. Rub the yeast with a spoonful of sugar.
- 2
Step 2
Pour warm milk over them, add a cup of flour, mix thoroughly, and leave in a warm place for 2–3 hours.
- 3
Step 3
Add egg yolks, sugar, another cup of flour, orange liqueur, vanilla, and orange zest to the dough, and knead thoroughly. Then add softened butter and a pinch of salt. Mix in raisins and candied fruit, roll the dough into a ball, and let it rise for 40–50 minutes. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap.
- 4
Step 4
Then divide the dough into portions and place into molds. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- 5
Step 5
Before placing the kulich in the oven, make a small cross-shaped cut on top and place a piece of butter into it. Bake for 10 minutes at 200°C, then reduce the temperature to 180°C and continue baking for another 35 minutes. To prevent the crust from burning, cover it with a piece of foil once it turns golden brown. Let the baked kulich cool, remove from the mold, and serve.