Christmas Tree Bread

After posting on Facebook that I was making "Christmas Tree Bread" I had some requests for the recipe. I have been making this bread for many years. We traditionally eat it for breakfast on Christmas morning. There is no great mystery in the recipe, but it's one of those things I could show you more easily than I can explain it.

Start with the recipe "Nola's Rolls" posted here on the blog in May, 2006. It's a refrigerator roll recipe, so you need to plan ahead and mix it up either early in the morning or in the evening before you go to bed. BTW, this time I used about half whole wheat flour and half white flour. You can use all white flour or any combination.

Once the dough is ready to use, take it out of the fridge and punch down. Divide the dough into eight portions. Keep one portion out and put the rest back in the fridge.

Roll out your 1/8 of the dough into a triangle shape. Spread softened butter over the "triangle". Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (1/4 c. sugar mixed with 2 tsp. cinnamon - I did some with half Splenda). Fold sides to the center and pinch together so that the butter/cinn. sugar mixture is covered. Turn over and lay on greased baking sheet fold side down.

If you have kitchen scissors they are very useful for the next step. ( If you don’t, use a knife, but it will be a bit awkward) Run the scissors lightly down the center of the “tree” from top to bottom to mark the center. Next, cut with the scissors at 1/2 inch intervals down both sides of the tree. Your cut will be just up to the “line” you made down the middle. The cuts on each side should be even with each other. After all the cuts are made, grasp each section starting at the top - leaving the tip of the tree as is - and twist each section one quarter turn so that the cinnamon inside is now showing on the top. As your turn each section, stretch is slightly outward. You should end up with a nice “tree shaped” bread.

Bake each “tree” for 7 or 8 minutes - until slightly browned. After the bread is cool, I decorate them using candied fruit and icing (see below). The bread can be wrapped in foil and reheated when you are ready to eat it.

“Sweet Icing” - from Betty Crocker
I cup powdered sugar (icing sugar - NOT castor sugar)
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
mix until smooth

I did my best to explain how to do it. If it doesn’t make sense and you are in the Nairobi area - make a plan to come by and I’ll show you how it’s done. It’s quite simple, but looks impressive.

Have fun - and Merry Christmas!