Candy Cane Coffee Cake

 

2

packages regular or quick active dry yeast

1/2

cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)

1 1/4

cups buttermilk

2

eggs

5 1/2

to 6 cups Gold Medal® Better for Bread™ flour or Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1/2

cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2

cup sugar

2

teaspoons baking powder

2

teaspoons salt

1 1/2

cups chopped dried apricots

1 1/2

cups chopped drained maraschino cherries

Coffee Cake Glaze

1 1/2

cups red cinnamon candies, if desired

• 1 Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Add buttermilk, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. (Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.)
• 2 Grease 3 cookie sheets. Turn dough onto well-floured surface; gently knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Roll one part into rectangle, 15x9 inches. Place rectangle on cookie sheet.
• 3 Mix apricots and chopped cherries. Spread one-third of the apricot mixture in a strip about 2 1/2 inches wide lengthwise down center of rectangle. Make cuts in dough at 1/2-inch intervals on both 15-inch sides almost to filling. Fold strips over filling, overlapping and crossing in center. Carefully stretch dough until 22 inches long; curve one end to form top of cane. Repeat with remaining 2 parts of dough. Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
• 4 Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle Glaze over warm coffee cakes. Decorate with cinnamon candies.