Brazadella

I once learned to make this bread from my dear friend Mufalda (Muffy Maioline. The way she cooked was typical of the way the Italian women in the village of Sagamore cooked. Muffy could not tell me the amounts of the ingredients she was using so to record this recipe, I had to measure everything. In her mind, there was no question as to the amounts she was using. She created the bread through instinct and intuition. Muffy passed away at age ninety eight.

Ingredients:

         4 cups all-purpose flour

         2 tablespoons baking powder

         1- cup sugar

         1/8 teaspoon salt

         ¼- pound (1 stick) butter, cut in small pieces

         1 cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes

         4 eggs, slightly beaten

         1 ½- ounces whiskey

         1 teaspoon lemon extract

         1 tablespoon vanilla

         ¼- cup milk

         ½- cup savor or mincemeat 

         1 egg

         2 tablespoon milk

         2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 15-inch pizza pan or flat pan with sides.  In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  With your fingers work the pieces of butter into the flour mixture until granular in texture.  Then turn the mixture onto a work surface and make a well in the center.  Put the eggs, raisins, whiskey, lemon extract, vanilla and milk in the center.  With a fork or with your fingertips, combine the liquid mixture with the flour until the ingredients are well incorporated and you can form a ball.  Do not knead.