1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
2 tbsp. warm, not hot, water
1 pkg. or cake Fleischmann's yeast, active dry or compressed
2 1/4 c. sifted enriched flour
1/4 tsp. mace (optional)
1/3 c. candied cherries
1/4 c. chopped almonds

Scald milk. Stir in sugar, salt and butter. Cool to lukewarm. Measure water into a bowl (warm, not hot, water for active dry yeast, lukewarm for compressed yeast). Sprinkle or crumble in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk mixture. Stir in 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Stir down. Add mace, cherries and almonds. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups flour. Turn out on lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Place in greased bowl; brush top with butter. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down. Form into round ball and place in round greased cake pan. Cover. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Bake in moderate oven, 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool., wrap as directed for freezing, and store. When ready to eat, thaw frost and decorate with cherries and almonds.