St. Lucia's Crown

I first made this sweet bread for 4-H when I was like 13.  Pretty daunting task, didn't turn out awesome.  I think I still got a red ribbon though.  Then last year my cousin's decided it was high time us Swedes had a day all our own. 

 I thought it was a great idea, and I dug out my recipe for St. Lucia's Crown.

It turned out slightly better than the first effort.

 

This year I found a new recipe.  It was much yummier!  It called for orange zest and juice instead of almond.  I love Orange Cranberry and I happened to have a bag of Crasins in the pantry so we had and Orange Cranberry St. Lucia's Crown!

 

This is the original recipe

 I changed the process as I use a Bosch mixer, and like many yeast bread recipes, this one is written for hand mixing.

 

This is what I did:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (pretty sure I just did 1/3cup)
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup orange juice (I added more cause I really like orange).
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Pour 1 1/2 cups into a 2 cup glass measuring cup or a pint jar (or larger).
• Drop in 6 Tablespoons of butter
• Microwave until butter melts (took mine about 90 seconds).
• Measure the sugar into the mixing bowl.
• Pour hot milk & butter into the sugar and whisk while it dissolves the sugar and cools the milk a bit.
• Sprinkle yeast over the milk mixture.  Let proof (or get bubbly) about 5 minutes.
• While proofing: whisk 2 eggs in now cooled milk heating container, add orange juice and zest. 
• Start mixing milk mixture, add egg mixture while mixer is running.
• Sift in the flour & salt.
• Knead till gluten develops, add Craisins (if desired about a minute before kneading is done).
• Let rise till doubled.  Warmer rooms speed this process.
• Punch down.  Divide into 3 equal sections.  Roll each section into a rope 30-36" long.
• Braid the 3 sections together.
• Leave the ends unbraided so when you turn it into a circle you can braid and connect them.
• Let Rise another 30-45 minutes, then bake till golden in a 350* oven, about 20 minutes.

 

I obviously didn't do the best job intertwining the ends.

but it still turns out pretty and tasted yummy.

 

Pour this glaze over the top:
1/3 cup butter mixed with 2 cups powdered sugar
(it's super thick and hard to stir, but mix it together over medium heat)
Thin with Orange Juice, about 1/4 cup

Decorate however you desire.
Tradition calls for candles, but since we like the bread fresh from the oven they usually melt a bit, but its easy to pick out.

St. Lucia's Day is usually celebrated on December 13th but we celebrate it as a part of our family's Swede Day (which is held in April, a month with few celebrations as opposed to the packed month of December).  Custom states that the eldest daughter dresses in all white and wears a crown of lights on her head and serves the sweet bread to her family.  #1 thought this was silly, but I think she felt pretty special.

 

As a note of interest we ate Swedish Meatballs for dinner.  This recipe was SO DELICIOUS!