Tom Steichen, BB president, writes:
My friend from Austria sent me her recipe for Kletzenbrot a traditional Christmas pear bread from Burgenland. I have converted the measurements from theirs to ours and I have made it many times. It is delicious.

KLETZENBROT
(from Tom Steichen)

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups dried pears, diced
  • 2-3 cups raisins
  • 1 cup dried figs, diced
  • 1/2 cup orange zest (zested and chopped fine)
  • 2 lemons zested
  • 1 knifepoint of each: anise, coriander
  • 1/4 cup or one airline size bottle of brandy
  • 5 eggs separated (whip whites and yolks separately with a fork)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup flour

Preparation:
Mix, the fruit, alcohol and spices.
Mix the egg yolks with sugar and mix into the fruits above.
Add the egg whites which have been mixed with a fork.
Add flour.
Pour into two greased medium sized bread pans.
Bake 40-60 min, 350°F. (center is done when toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs)
This is a very heavily fruited bread and yummy.