Easter cakes

Mix candied fruits with raisins in a small saucepan, pour rum over them, and place on low heat. Heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the alcohol evaporates and the candied fruits absorb all the liquid. Meanwhile, start on the dough: dissolve the yeast in warm milk.

Mix 525 grams of flour with sugar and salt. Whisk the eggs in a bowl.

In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar, then pour in the diluted yeast. Add eggs and vanilla.

Knead the dough with a hook attachment for a long time until it wraps around the hook and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Cut the butter into small cubes and gradually incorporate it into the dough while continuously kneading well. Finally, add the mixture of dried fruits and candied fruits.

Cover the dough with a clean towel and leave it at room temperature for 1.5 hours. Then knead the dough on a floured surface, fold it into a clean dry bowl again, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Divide the dough into three parts (about 600 grams each). Roll each part into a ball and place it in a parchment-lined baking mold for kulich, pressing it slightly. The dough should fill the molds to 1/3 of their volume. Cover the molds with a linen cloth and let them rise in a warm place without drafts. Place a bowl of water nearby to prevent the dough from drying out. The dough should rise and slightly overflow the edges of the mold for beautiful kulich tops.

For the glaze, combine powdered sugar and 25 grams of flour. Gradually sift the sugar mixture into the egg whites, mixing until smooth. Cover the risen kulich with glaze and bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees for 35 minutes.