Dreikönigskuchen (Three Kings Cake) and Glühwein (Glow Wine)

Dreikönigskuchen (Three Kings Cake) and Glühwein (Glow Wine)

Dreikönigskuchen

2 cups plus 3 Tblsp flour

1.4 oz. fresh yeast

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 Tblsp  lukewarm milk

7 Tblsp butter or margarine

1/2 Tsp salt

1 container of citron

1/2 Tsp cardamom

2 eggs, 1 separated

Generous 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in rum

1 cup chopped, mixed dried fruit

Put 3/4 of the flour in a bowl, make a hole in the middle, crumble yeast into it, and mix the yeast with a pinch of sugar and some of the lukewarm milk. Dust the mixture with flour, cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Add the melted butter, salt, citron, cardamom, egg, egg white, remaining milk, and flour to the flour and yeast mixture. Knead dough until smooth. When the dough begins to form a ball, stir in raisins and dried fruit. Form dough into a log. Cut off 1/4 of the log, divide it into 4 equal parts, and form balls of each. Divide the remaining log into 4 parts and form balls from each.

Grease a spring-form pan with a central tube. Place dough in the pan, alternating large and small dough balls. Cover the pan and let rise in a warm place. Brush the dough with beaten egg yolk and place in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Cool cake thoroughly before removing from pan and icing.

Icing

Powdered sugar

Lemon juice

Red and green candied cherries, cut in half

Mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice to an icing consistency (not too runny). Ice the cake and decorate with the candied cherries. To be really authentic, mold a small gold crown from foil and place it in the center of the cake.

 

Kinderglühwein

(non-alcoholic)

1 quart of purple grape juice

6 oz. honey

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves

Peels of half a lemon and half an orange

Pour ingredients into a pan. Heat, but do not cook. Strain and pour into glasses.