Christopsomo Recipe
If you want to celebrate Christmas the Greek way, try out this Christopsomo, a meringue topped bread decorated with walnuts and cherries. Try and tell me if you like this Christopsomo.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (105°-115°F)
1/3 cup milk
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed aniseeds
4-5 cups flour
3 eggs
12 walnut halves or candied cherries
Glaze
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Directions
1 Dissolve yeast in warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes. Heat milk, butter, sugar, salt, and aniseeds to warm (105°€”115°F).
2 Combine 2 cups flour, yeast mixture, and milk mixture in mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
3 Add eggs and enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth€”about 10 minutes.
4 Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double€”about 1 1/2 hours.
5 Punch down dough. Pinch off 2 balls of dough 3 inches in diameter. Set aside for 5 minutes. Knead remaining dough on lightly floured surface to make a smooth ball. Place on greased baking sheet; flatten dough into a 9-inch round loaf about 2 inches thick.
6 Shape each 3-inch ball into a 15-inch-long rope. Make 5-inch-long cut into each end of the ropes. Cross ropes at center of the loaf. {Don't press down.) Bend cut sections away from center of each rope to form circles.
7 Put walnut or cherry in each circle and one in center of cross. Make glaze and brush on loaf. Cover; let rise in warm place until double€” about 1 hour.
8 Bake in a preheated 350°F oven 45 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack.
2 Combine 2 cups flour, yeast mixture, and milk mixture in mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
3 Add eggs and enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth€”about 10 minutes.
4 Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double€”about 1 1/2 hours.
5 Punch down dough. Pinch off 2 balls of dough 3 inches in diameter. Set aside for 5 minutes. Knead remaining dough on lightly floured surface to make a smooth ball. Place on greased baking sheet; flatten dough into a 9-inch round loaf about 2 inches thick.
6 Shape each 3-inch ball into a 15-inch-long rope. Make 5-inch-long cut into each end of the ropes. Cross ropes at center of the loaf. {Don't press down.) Bend cut sections away from center of each rope to form circles.
7 Put walnut or cherry in each circle and one in center of cross. Make glaze and brush on loaf. Cover; let rise in warm place until double€” about 1 hour.
8 Bake in a preheated 350°F oven 45 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack.
