Recipe: Braided Breakfast Bread with Creamy Frosting (using candied fruits, golden raisins, nuts, and orange juice)

BRAIDED BREAKFAST BREAD WITH CREAMY FROSTING
Adapted from source: Michelle in CA

Note from source: I got this recipe from my MIL from a book called Good Bread or something boring like that. This bread is far from boring, though. It is impressive, beautiful, buttery and delicious. We ate the entire thing in one day and believe me, it's big. My MIL used her bread machine for the mixing and the first rise. She just followed the recipe as it is listed and added the flour just a little at a time and scraped the sides every now and then to keep it moving. The dough was just perfect and was so easy to braid. Also, feel free to add or take away from the candied fruits and raisins inside.

1 cup golden raisins
1 cup mixed candied fruits
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, divided use
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
5 cups flour, divided use
2 eggs
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp. mace
1 cup chopped blanched almonds (I used pecans)
2 egg whites (for brushing top)
CREAMY FROSTING:
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tbsp. cream or milk
1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional garnish)
12 candied cherries (optional garnish)

Combine raisins, candied fruits and orange juice in a small bowl. Set aside.

Scald milk; add 1/2 cup sugar, salt and 1/2 cup butter. Cool to lukewarm.

Sprinkle yeast on warm water; stir to dissolve.

Combine yeast, milk mixture 2 cups flour, eggs, lemon peel and mace.

IF USING BREAD MACHINE:
Add the batter to the bread machine pan and add flour a little at a time, then add fruits and nuts. Set on dough cycle and when cycle is complete continue with recipe instructions below to shape the braids.

IF NOT USING BREAD MACHINE:
Beat with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until batter is smooth. Stir in chopped almonds and fruits. Stir in enough remaining flour, a little at a time, to make a dough that leaves the sides of bowl and that you can handle easily.

Turn onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and satiny, about 5 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place, about 2 hours.

TO SHAPE THE BRAIDS:
Punch dough down; turn onto board, knead a few times and divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll three of the pieces into big long strips, about 18 inches long. Braid these and tuck the ends under. Brush top of braid with egg whites mixed with a 2 tsp. of water (set aside remaining egg white mixture).

Take fourth piece of dough and divide that dough into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-15-inch strip and braid these. Place on top of large braid and tuck ends under. Carefully lift braided dough onto a greased baking sheet and let it rise until doubled; about 1 1/2 hours.

Brush entire braid with egg white mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Tent the bread is it looks like it's getting too brown before it's finished baking.

TO PREPARE THE CREAMY FROSTING:
Combine the confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and 1 tbsp. cream or milk. Stir until smooth.

While it's still warm, brush with Creamy Frosting and decorate with slivered almonds and sliced candied cherries. Cool on racks.

Can be made one day ahead and left out wrapped in foil.