Christmas bread

Mix raisins, currants, grated lemon peel and bigareaux in a bowl and stir in the rum. Let rest for at least 2 hours till the fruit has taken all the rum.

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Warm butter, milk, sugar and orange peel till the butter has melted. Sift 400 gr flour and salt in a large bowl and make a little hole in the middle. Add yeast-mixture, milk mixture and beaten egg. Mix well. Add as much of the rest of the flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a flour dusted working surface 10 minutes till the dough is elastic. Put the greased dough in a bowl and let, covered, rise 1 hour at a warm place.

Fold the dough and knead it 1 minute. Push it flat, divide the fruit. Fold the dough over the fruit and knead it evenly through the dough. Mold the dough to an oval of about 20 x 30 cm.

Place the bread on a baking sheet and grease the upper part of the dough with the extra (melted) butter. Push a hole in the dough lenghtwise with a rolling pin  . Roll the almond paste to the same lenght as the bread and place in the hole. Fold the dough over. Let covered rise an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F (fan oven 170°C/340°F). Bake 30-35 minutes till the bread is golden brown and let cool. Sprinkle with a substantial amount of icing sugar  .

Serve thick buttered slices.