Traditional German Christmas Stollen

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1. 1Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, mace, and nutmeg. Stir in the milk and melted butter. Add the dissolved yeast and the eggs. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
2. 2Step 2: Drain the raisins and currants. Add the raisins, currants, almonds, citron, orange peel, apricots, and lemon zest to the dough, and continue kneading until incorporated, about 10 minutes. If the dough is sticky, knead in more flour.
3. 3Step 3: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.
4. 4Step 4: Punch down the dough, divide it into 6 even pieces, and roll each piece into a 15-inch-long log. Braid 3 logs together and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 logs.
5. 5Step 5: Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours more.
6. 6Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the stollen until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Beat together the confectioners' sugar and milk. Drizzle the stollen with icing just before serving.