Here is a wonderful cinnamon raisin bread that everyone will enjoy. I am presenting it with a streusel topping made with dates, cinnamon, and raisins.

Streuzel was the original name for bread rich in dried or preserved fruit. It is now called Stollen. A traditional winter solstice bread, it is made in a braided shape. The dough is large and folded in half with tapered ends symbolizing the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. It has been around since the 1400’s. The master bakers in the town of Dresden began baking to 36 lb. loaves to give to the king for gifts at Christmastime. It took eight bakers and eight of their assistants to get the loaves to the palace safely.
In 1730, the master bakers were asked by Augustus to bake a giant loaf of stollen for a farewell dinner he was having. This stollen weighed 1.8 tons and fed 24,000 people. Hence the stollenfest began in Dresden every year to commemorate this event. So every year, there is a parade featuring a 2 ton loaf of stollen. It is brought with great pomp to the town square where it is sliced up and sold to the public. All of the proceeds are then given to charities. There are as many versions of this bread recipe as there are master bakers. Each recipe is passed down from generation to generation.

My cinnamon raisin bread comes with a wonderful holiday streuzel topping. It pairs perfectly with a holiday cup of hot cider.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Bread Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour
½ cup ground flaxseed
¼ cup coconut flour
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp Himalayan sea salt
3 tsp. cinnamon powder
¼ cup maple syrup
20 medium sized pitted dates
½ cup filtered water
1 cup raisins
2 tbsp. psyllium husks

Directions:
Place the dates and water in a Vitamix. Blend until creamy smooth, creating a date paste. Place the paste into a Cuisinart. Add the almond flour, oat flour, flax seed meal, coconut flour, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, and lemon juice to the date paste. Mix until it forms a batter. Make sure to scrape down the sides while mixing. Remove from the Cuisinart and place into a bowl. Sprinkle the psyllium husks evenly over the top and hand mix until even. Add the raisins and hand mix those into the dough. Take a bread pan that measures 9” long by 4 ½” wide, lay a sheet of saran wrap covering the inside of the pan and overlapping the sides. Press the dough evenly into the pan, making sure the dough is completely fitted into the mold. Place the pan into the dehydrator at 145 degrees for 1 hour. Remove it from the mold and place it onto a dehydrator tray without a teflex sheet. Score the top of the loaf into slices. Make sure not to cut too far down. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 4 to 6 hours. Remove from the dehydrator and slice. Place the slices onto a dehydrator tray without a teflex sheet and continue dehydrating for 2 to 3 more hours.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Will last in the freezer for 1 month.

Directions:
Place the dates and water into a high speed blender. Blend until creamy smooth creating a date paste. Add the cinnamon, salt, and vanilla to the paste and blend in. Place the paste into a bowl. Hand mix the raisins into the paste.

May be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 days. Can last for 1 month in the freezer.