4 1/4 - 4 3/4 c. Robin Hood Pre-Sifted All-Purpose Flour
1/2 c. warm (not hot) water
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
3/4 c. lukewarm milk
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp. mace
1/2 c. chopped candied fruit
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. slivered almonds

Measure flour (without sifting) onto square of waxed paper. Soak yeast in 1/2 cup warm (not hot) water 5 minutes. Pour lukewarm milk over sugar and salt in large mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve.

Beat in shortening, eggs, grated lemon rind, mace, softened yeast mixture and 1 cup flour with rotary beater until smooth. Stir in fruit, raisins and nuts.

Add remaining flour mixing until dough leaves sides of bowl. Turn out onto lightly floured board. Knead until dough becomes smooth and elastic and no longer sticky (5-10 minutes). Place in lightly greased bowl. Grease top of dough and cover with waxed paper.

Let rise in warm place (75-80 F.) until doubled (1 - 1 1/2 hours). Punch down.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Shape 3 into strips 14 inches long. Place on lightly greased baking sheet and form into a braid. Divide the remaining portion into 3 parts. Shape each into strips 9 inches long and form into a smaller braid. Place on top of large braid. Tuck under all ends.

Let rise in warm place until doubled (45-60 minutes). Bake at 350 F. (moderate) for 40-50 minutes.

Frost while warm with Thin Vanilla Icing and garnish with toasted almonds and candied cherries. Serve thinly sliced and buttered. Arrange slices on wicker or wooden tray and decorate with Christmas greens. Yield 1 coffee cake.

THIN VANILLA ICING:

To one cup of icing sugar add sufficient milk (about 2 tbsp.) to make a thin icing. Flavor with 1/4 tsp. vanilla.