At Natalie's at Camden Harbour Inn we celebrate the holidays big, with traditional food, incorporating culinary treats from all over the world. If you are unable to join us for brunch or dinner on Easter Sunday, than perhaps you have some time to make this delicious Dutch Easter Bread.

Our Paasstol, or Dutch traditional Easter Bread is not strictly traditional. I like to play around with dried fruits and liquor. It is hard to imagine that Dutch housewives of yesteryear would only have used raisins and currants when they had access to all the wonderful dried fruits we can find today.

Not that there is anything wrong with raisins and currants, so If you are a stickler for the traditional, use only raisins, currants and glace fruits and soak the fruits in brandy.

From the owners kitchen to yours! Enjoy and Happy Easter!

Raymond Brunyanszki, owner Camden Harbour Inn

Ingredients:

2 cups raisins (250 g)
1 cup dried cherries (150 g)
4 tbsp kirsch (or cherry brandy)
A pack of white bread mix
2/3 cup warm water (150 ml)
2/3 cup warm milk (150 ml)
1 1/2 tbsp butter (25 g)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped candied lemon peel (50 g)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (50 g)
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts (50 g)
1 cup (tightly packed) 'spijs'/almond paste.(200 g)
1 tbsp melted butter
Powdered sugar (icing sugar), to sift on top

Preparation:

Soak the raisins and cherries in kirsch overnight. In a large mixing bowl, add water, milk, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and lemon zest to the white bread mix. Knead for a few minutes (you can do this in a mixer with a dough attachment) until the dough forms a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. Add the chopped candied lemon peel, nuts and (drained) soaked fruits to the dough. Knead again.

Roll the almond paste into a log of approximately 10 inches (26 cm). I find it easiest to roll it into a sausage shape in plastic wrap and then it in the fridge while the dough is rising.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with some flour. Place the dough on the parchment paper and form an oval shape of approximately 8 inches by 12 inches (20 x 30 cm). Place the almond paste roll lengthways down the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the almond paste lengthways, and gently pinch to seal. Cover the bread with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 392 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Brush the top of the bread with water and bake for approximately 45 minutes until brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack and brush with the melted butter. Dust with powdered sugar before serving the Easter bread in thick slices, slathered with real butter.

TIPS:

If you forgot to soak the fruit, simply put it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes and allow to cool.

I used Koopmans Mix voor Witbrood (1 lb/500 g), but you could use any bread mix for a standard sized loaf of white bread.