INGREDIENTS

• Baking parchment paper for drawing Dove Outlines of your choice.
• Nontoxic materials for drawing.

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• 2 teaspoons dried yeast
• 6 oz hot milk or cream (not scalded)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 oz unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs and 1 egg yolk (save the white for another recipe)
• 4 oz powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Grated zest of 1 medium orange
• Grated zest of 1 a large lemon
• 2 and 1/2 oz golden raisins
• 2 and 1/2 oz mixed candied fruit peels
• Icing sugar, for dusting
• 4 oz whole, blanched almonds

DIRECTIONS

• To a medium mixing bowl, add the hot milk or cream and then the yeast, stir, and let sit 10-15 minutes, until frothy in consistency.
• Stir in ½ cup of the flour well, then cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

• In a larger mixing bowl, melt the butter and remove form the cook top to cool.
• Whisk the eggs, the one egg yolk and the sugar together well.
• Now, whisk in the butter that has cooled.
• Whisk in the salt, vanilla, orange zest, and lemon zest.
• Add the remaining flour and mix together.
• Uncover the yeast mixture and beat it into the flour dough until the mixture is smooth.
• Add the raisins, saving 2 for decoration, and add the candied peel. Mix
• Place the dough into a large greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let his sit on the counter until doubled in size (1 ½ to 2 hours).
• On 2 sheets of baking parchment, draw or trace the outlines of a dove.
• Take two baking pans and line with the parchment drawings.
• Turn the cake dough out onto a lightly floured board or counter and knead it for 2-3 minutes.
• Cut this dough into two equal pieces and make each into the shape of a dove by putting each cake onto a pan with a parchment drawing and shaping the cake to the outline.
• Place one raisin on the face of each dove to make an eye.
• Cover each dove with a clean towel and permit to rise for one hour on the counter, or until doubled in size.
• Place almonds long the surfaces of the cakes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

• Place the cakes into the hot oven for 15-18 minutes, or until just golden brown and a knife blade comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
• Remove the cakes and place the pans onto a cooling rack until cool to the touch.
• Turn out the cakes onto two plates.
• Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before serving (serves 12)