Ingredients
1 cake compressed yeast, or... dry yeast
3/4 cup milk, scalded
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine
3 cup sifted all-purpose flour - (plus mo, re as necessary)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup quaker oats, uncooked - (quick or o, ld-fashioned)
1/2 cup diced mixed candied fruits
Directions
Soften yeast in lukewarm water. (Use warm water for dry yeast.) Pour
scalded milk over sugar, salt and butter. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in 1
cup flour and eggs. Add softened yeast and oats. Combine 1/4 cup
flour and candied fruits; stir to coat fruits evenly with flour. Add
to dough; mix well. Stir in enough more flour to make a soft dough.
Turn out on lightly floured board or canvas; knead until smooth and
satiny, about 10 minutes. Round dough into ball; place in greased
bowl; brush lightly wtih melted shortening. Cover and let rise in
warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down; cover; let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough in half.
From one half, pinch off 17 pieces of dough; shape to form balls.
Arrange balls in the shape of a Christmas tree on greased cooky
sheet. Brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with other half of
dough. Cover; let rise in warm place until nearly double in size,
about 1 hour.
Bake in preheated moderate oven (375 F.) about 20 minutes. Decorate
with confectioners' sugar frosting and candied citron.
Servings: 2 cakes
Christmas Tree Coffee Cake Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cake; Christmas; Coffee; Dessert; Holiday
The History of Recipes
Historians have proved the existance of recipes far back into distant history, in fact as far back into recorded history as early Egypt, and potentially, even further back. Interesting though that is, sadly, these ancient cook books were just simple hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing meals.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to historians is a series of stone tablets in the Sumerian language which recount the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made people feel blissful and exhilarated. During Roman times around 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote a few documents showing how to cook the recipes enjoyed by wealthy Romans. In his scrolls, he describes how the meals were separated into starters, main meal and dessert, something that is very familiar to us today. Aspicius describes how the Roman chefs were skilled in the use of many different herbs, including many that are still in use today like thyme, fennel and dill. As our culinary historical trip moves on a few more years we find a couple of books which appeared in the fourteenth century : one book called `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary named `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are somewhat misleading tho`, they are unconnected to the indian food that appears on menues today, but rather recipes for the types of meals served to the upper classes of the time. Later, in the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought back many new spices and herbs from the East, including spices like parsley, basil and rosemary. These new foods and tastes created an increase in books on cooking, most of which are kept safe in private collections. During the following few hundred years, the powerful and wealthy strove to lay on the most exotic meals, and as a result the best chefs and their collection of recipes were much in demand. However, it wasn`t until the nineteenth century that fine cooking and recipe books became popular. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted much of their lives to assembling, testing, and writing down the recipes that were being prepared for the better households. By the time we get to the 1900s, cook books were starting to become popular mostly due to increased literacy, people having increased leisure time and having more money. The arrival of television gave us celebrity TV chefs and the recipe books that accompanied them. Which brings us neatly to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, permitting us all to access massive numbers of recipes just like those on this recipe site. |
We hope you enjoy this Christmas Tree Coffee Cake recipe.
