Italian Easter Egg Bread

--In electric mixer bowl combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Heat milk and butter in small saucepan over low heat until warm (110°F.) Gradually add to dry ingredients. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. --Add 2 eggs and ½ cup flour (or enough to make thick batter). Beat at high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Gradually stir in enough additional flour to make soft dough that comes clean from sides of bowl. --Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, kneading until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (6 minutes with dough hook). If necessary add additional flour to eliminate stickiness. Place in oiled bowl, turning to coat top. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel wrung out in hot water and allow to rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. --Combine fruits, nuts and anise seed. Punch dough down and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in fruit mixture. This will be a sticky process. Keep fruit mixture powdered with flour until pieces are worked into dough. Divide dough in half. Roll each piece into 24-inch rope. Twist ropes together loosely and form into ring on oiled baking sheet, pinching ends together. Brush with melted butter --Carefully make nesting place for each raw egg by spreading ropes apart and pushing eggs down into dough as far as possible, for the best result Cover dough with waxed paper. Allow to rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake about 3- to 35 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in bread comes out clean and dry. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack. --Combine frosting ingredients. When bread is cool, carefully drizzle frosting over twist and between eggs. Decorate with colored sprinkles and/or garnish with candied pineapple and citron; or make a jellybean “nest.” --This bread may be frozen and decorated after defrosting Frosting 1 cup powdered sugar ½ tsp. vanilla 1 Tbsp. milk