Lucia Buns

Lucia Buns

2 cups milk
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed saffron
1 tbsp. brandy extract
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plumped dark seedless raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Combine milk, butter, sugar and salt; heat until butter is melted. Do not boil. Cool to lukewarm. While milk is heating, soak saffron in brandy extract, then strain into lukewarm milk mixture.

Soften yeast in warm water; add to lukewarm milk mixture along with eggs. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time. Turn out on floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (This is a soft dough.) Put in greased bowl; turn over. Cover; set in warm place, free from draft; let rise until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down.

TURN OUT on floured board; pat out. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of raisins and almonds. Knead until raisins and almonds are well distributed throughout the dough. Divide dough into quarters. Working with 1 section at a time, divide into 12 equal portions.

Shape into pieces 12 inches long, then cut each piece in half. Place one strip on greased baking sheet; place the other strip over first one to form an X. Coil each of the four ends into a curl; place raisin in center of each curl. Continue until all dough has been used. Set in warm place; let rise until double, about 45 minutes.

If desired, brush with mixture of 1 beaten egg and 2 teaspoons water. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 15 minutes or until browned.

–Yields 48 buns.

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