Grandmother Birchler's Swiss Bideweca

Here's the recipe, as Mother gave it to me.



Filling
2 boxes dried mixed fruit, diced
1 box dried apples, diced
1 c. raisins
1 tsp. grated lemon peel

Add sugar to sweeten. Cook until thickened. (Obviously, this needs some water to cook. I think Mother said "add water until it looks right.")

Dough
1 pkg. yeast
1/4 c. warm water
3/4 c. milk, scalded
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening
3 to 3-3/4 cups sifted flour
1 slightly beaten egg


Dissolve yeast in water. Combine milk, salt, sugar and shortening. Dissolve. Cool.

Add 1 cup flour and beat until smooth. Add yeast and egg and beat. Add enough flour to make soft dough. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth.

Place in greased bowl. Cover. Let double. Punch down and let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into thirds. Roll each third into a rectangle. Spread with fruit. Roll each like a jelly roll and turn ends under.Brush with egg beaten wtih a little water.

Let rise until double.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Juicy Roasted Chicken

1 Meijers roasting chicken
2 cups water
about 4 tblsp salt
5 cloves garlic
two ribs celery, broken in half
one onion, quartered
fresh cracked pepper
paprika
vegetable or olive oil

cut open the end of the chicken's packaging at the leg end. drain all the juice and remove the giblet bag (retain for soup or gravy if desired). mix the water, garlic and salt until salt dissolves. pour into cavity of chicken still in the packaging, standing it on end, working a finger around the outside of the bird in between the skin and the packaging so the brine gets all over the surface. add more water if needed until cavity is full. prop it up in the fridge in a bag or bowl and let it marinate for 3-4 hours. drain the brine out, put the chicken in a roaster (on a rack if you are worried about fat). stuff the celery and onion into the cavity. rub the breast and legs with vegetable or olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Roast uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes or until it gets some nice color, then tent foil over the bird, and roast for another 45 or so. Remove foil and broil for 15 minutes to crisp skin. Let rest, then serve.

Mother and Daddy loved this.