Christmas Stollen Recipe

So, I love to cook, and I like to share recipes with people from time to time. Even when I take abuse for the instantaneous diabetic coma induced by some of them (and yes, Yorkie, I'm looking at you) So, I thought I would share with you a recipe from my great-aunt Ivynella (or Aunt Ivy, as we all called her). Auny Ivy was my maternal grandfather's older sister, born in 1900. She passed away right around Christmas in 1998 (I think), and wrote down this recipe for my Mom in 1990. She still was making this every year for Christmas at age 90. (Stollen is the German version of fruitcake, for those who are not familiar. It's much more bread-like than cake-like, though, and is not soaked in rum like fruitcake) German Christmas Stollen 2 cups Scalded milk 1 cup Sugar 2 T Salt 1-1/2 cup Shortening 2 reg. or 1 large Cake of yeast 8 cups Flour 4 Eggs, beaten 1-1/2 cups Chopped blanched almonds 1-1/2 cups Raisins 1 to 2 cups Candied mixed fruit (you choose the quantity depending on how much candied fruit you like) 1 container Candied cherries - cut up some Grated rind of 1 lemon 2 T Vanilla Cinnamon sugar Melted butter or margarine Confectioner's sugar icing/glaze (thin enough to drizzle) Fruit and nuts for decorating Preheat oven to 425F Add sugar, salt and shortening to scalded milk. Cool to lukewarm and crumble in yeast. Add 2 cups flour. Let rise in warm place until light and fluffy. Add remaining flour, eggs, fruit, nuts, lemon rind, and vanilla. Place on board and knead until dough is smooth. Divide into 6 parts. Roll out into a 1/2" ovals. Sprinkle with a sugar and cinnamon mixture. Fold into long loaves like an omelet. Brush with melted butter or margarine and let rise on greased cookie sheets until doubles in bulk. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 350F and continue baking until toothpick comes out clean. (She didn't say for how long, and I can't remember what I did last time, so I'd just check every 10 minutes.) Decorate with thin confectioners sugar icing and sliced fruit and chopped nuts. Slice to serve. Yields 6 loaves I'm going to be making these again this year, so if any turn out purty, I'll post a picture. :D