Last Christmas I tried a different recipe for Christmas Bread. Most of you did not notice that I slightly altered tradition. Aaron did, he recognized it right away. The ingredients are basically the same, and of course contains raisins and cardamom. What I like about this recipe is it is easier to follow and the texture of the bread is slightly more compact. I also like the melted butter and cinnamon sugar that coat the loaves after baking. Every year I debate exactly how much cardamom to use. The recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon crushed seeds. I start with 1-2 tablespoons, sniff, and add some more. I only use cardamom that Matt brings, or from a co-op type store. Fresh as possible is the best. The recipe comes from my Scandinavian recipe book. 3 c scalded milk 1/2 cup butter melted in milk when cooled to lukewarm add: 2 T yeast 1 cup sugar 2 beaten eggs 2 tsp salt 1 T ground cardamom (or more) 2 cups raisins Mix and add: 10-11 cups flour Knead well and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and knead again and let rise a second time. Cut into portions and knead into loaves, four or five depending on your pans. Let rise, brush tops with egg yolk beaten with a little milk. Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes. Brush baked loaves with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.