Instructions: Place yeast in warm water and set aside. Mix together 1 cup flour, sugar and salt. Add milk,melted butter and eggs and mix well. Stir in yeast mixture. Continue adding flour until a nice soft dough forms. Remove dough from bowl and knead in raisins, candied cherries and nuts. Place in a greased bowl until double in size, approximately one hour. Punch down dough and shape into a 8 X 5 inch rectangle.

Grease a baking sheet. Using the 1 tablespoon of butter, grease the brown paper strips well on all sides. Place strips on the cookie sheet, perpendicular to each other, making a cross shape. Center the rectangular shaped dough over the strips. Loosely wrap the strips around the dough and secure with paper clips. Make sure you can fit two fingers under the strips. Let dough rise 1/2 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and remove paper strips. Wrap with holiday ribbon in the indentions and the bread will resemble a gift package. Bread can also be baked omitting the paper strips and frosted with a drizzle of powdered sugar icing.

Makes one loaf.

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