1/2 tablespoon dry yeast
1/2 cup warm milk or 1/2 cup soy substitute
2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
16  whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup butter or soy margarine, softened
1/3 cup honey
2  eggs or 2  egg substitute
2 teaspoons lemon granules
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/3 cup raisins

In a medium-size bowl dissolve yeast in warm milk. Stir in 1/2 cup flour until smooth. Let rise in a warm place until bubbly and doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Generously butter a 10-inch bread pan. Arrange whole almonds in an attractive pattern on the bottom.

Beat butter and honey in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir down yeast mixture. Mix with butter-egg mixture, then add spices, 1 cup of flour, chopped almonds and raisins. Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Knead in remaining flour, and place in prepared pan.

Cover with wax paper and a clean towel and let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degress, and continue baking 40 minutes longer, or until nicely browned and a wooden pick comes out clean. (If loaf browns too quickly, cover loosely with a square of foil.) Leave in pan for 3 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, Cool completely.