Julekaga!

[cissalj]

In the Twin Cities, MN, julekaga was to be had EVERYWHERE. Here in MA- never see it...so I had to make my own. After 35 years or so, this is what we do. (I still miss poppyseed kolaches; maybe this year...)


Julekaga

Makes 3 loaves

6.25 cups flour + 2 tablespoons flour
0.25 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons sugar
1.5 tsp salt
0.75-1.5 tsp cardamon
3 Tablespoons shortening, oil, or butter

3 pkg OR 3 scant tablespoons instant yeast

1 cup warm water
1 cup milk

3 eggs: 1 yolk reserved for glaze, the rest beaten

0.5 cup currants
0.75 cup raisins
0.75 cup fruitcake mix

1 Tablespoon cold water (glaze)

3 candied cherries

Mix flour, sugar, salt, cardamon, yeast, and shortening/oil/butter.

Mix milk, eggs (except for reserved yolk), and water. Add to flour mix and knead 3-5 min.

Toss fruits with flour. Knead into dough until dispersed.

Put in greased bowl, Turn over to grease the top. Let rise until doubled.

When doubled, deflate. Divide into thirds. Form 3 loaves. put on parchment or silpat to rise, covered.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix reserved yolk with 1 Tablespoon water. Paint loaves with this glaze. Indent the center top slightly; add cherry, glaze top.

Bake for 20min. remove, re-glaze, return to oven rotated 180 degrees. Cook 10+ more minutes, until golden.

Once out of oven, paint again with glaze if there’s any left.

Cool, slice and enjoy!

Notes: In the Twin Cities julekaga is generally glazed with a powdered sugar/water icing, but that makes it harder to toast. It’s great toasted with butter and cinnamon sugar! so I do not do the sugar glaze. If stale, it makes great French toast and/or bread pudding!

The main difference with this compared to other Northern European fruited sweet breads is the use of cardamon.

Comments

That sounds pretty good, and do-able!

[avivasedai.livejournal.com]

My question these days: could it do with less sugar? Also, I'd rather not buy a jar of candied cherries in order to use 3, and I'd probably use my own mix of dried fruit, so mine wouldn't be "authentic."

In other words, I like recipes, but A. I adjust for diabetes and B. I'm cheap and don't want to buy specialty ingredients. }:->

Re: That sounds pretty good, and do-able!

[cissa.livejournal.com]

I am sure it would be fine with less sugar, though it is not all that sweet by taste as is.

The candied cherries last for years. Seriously. Ours are 10 years old and are fine- they're just decorative, anyway. If you use fruitcake mix, there will probably be a couple in it. Honestly, the decorative cherries are not functional- they are part of what maps as "julekaga" to me, and they are pretty.

I have done "yuppie" style julekaga with a mix of chopped dried fruit- like cherries, apples, apricots- replacing the fruitcake mix. Trader Joe used to sell a couple of versions of chopped dried fruit... They worked fine, and still tasted like julekaga. :)

It's really the cardamon that does the trick. That CANNOT be omitted. And keep it in the fridge or freezer, because it is very volatile.

Re: That sounds pretty good, and do-able!

[avivasedai.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I keep my cardamom in with the spices, the glass jar from McCormick. It should be in the fridge? Or do you mean the julekaga as a whole?

Also, better to bake all 3 and then freeze, or divide dough by 3, freeze it and thaw before baking?

Re: That sounds pretty good, and do-able!

[cissa.livejournal.com]

Refrigerate or freeze the cardamon. It is not a sturdy spice.

The julekaga is fine out- it generally gets eaten before staling around here!

Re: That sounds pretty good, and do-able!

[cissa.livejournal.com]

I am not sure about the julekaga dough itself. I generally cook all 3 loaves, but time it so I can give extras away. I am not sure how well the dough would cook from frozen.

I'd suggest baking them till they are barely done, then continuing with the one you're eating, and freezing the other(s). Then, when you want them, thaw and bake at 350F or so for 15-20min, if room temp when they go in.

Understand that this is a guess! I bake all 3 and give extras away. :)