Candy Cane Coffee Cake

 

Braided and fruit-filled, these shapely coffee cakes are perfect for entertaining or giving as gifts. This delicious recipe is from the award-winning Betty Crocker’s Best Christmas Cookbook.

Candy Cane Coffee Cake
Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hr 50 min
Servings: 3
Ingredients:

1. 2 packages regular or quick active dry yeast
2. 1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
3. 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4. 2 eggs
5. 5 1/2 to 6 cups Gold Medal® Better for Bread™ flour or Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
6. 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
7. 1/2 cup sugar
8. 2 teaspoons baking powder
9. 2 teaspoons salt
10. 1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots
11. 1 1/2 cups chopped drained maraschino cherries
12. Coffee Cake Glaze
13. 1 1/2 cups red cinnamon candies, if desired

Instructions:

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.

Notes:

1. Use holiday cellophane found in party stores to wrap the homemade specialties you plan to place beneath someone’s Christmas tree. Jingle bells attached to bright ribbons can tie up the package.
2. To keep dried fruit from sticking to your chopping knife, rub the sides of the blade with a little vegetable oil.

By bettycrocker.com

~Bridget

Working Number For Santa Claus! Leave Your Messages & Gift Requests!

 
~Bridget

Santa Hat Pretzels

Bite-sized bits of North Pole magic are just what your holiday party needs! This delectable balance of salty and sweet is a wonderful way to give everyone an irresistible taste of the Christmas spirit.

Ingredients:

1. Mini Twist Pretzels
2. White Chocolate Almond Bark
3. Red Sanding Sugar
4. Mini Marshmallows

Instructions:

1. Melt the white chocolate almond bark according to the directions on the package.
2. Dip each mini twist pretzel halfway into the melted white chocolate almond bark.
3. Dip each almond bark covered pretzel into the red sanding sugar until only a small amount of the almond bark is showing. Place on waxed paper.
4. Cut the mini marshmallows in half. Use additional melted almond bark to adhere a mini marshmallow half onto the side of each pretzel. Allow time for the almond bark to set.

~Bridget

Double-Chocolate Candy Cane Peppermint Cheesecake

I literally cannot WAIT to try this!  December 1st.....

Ingredients:

Crust

1. 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (about 32 cookies)
2. 1/4 cup butter, melted
3. 2 tablespoons sugar

Filling

1. 4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
2. 1/4 cup sugar
3. 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
4. 1/3 cup whipping cream
5. 2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
6. 2 teaspoons vanilla
7. 3 eggs

Ganache

1. 3/4 cup whipping cream
2. 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3. 1 bag (12 oz) soft peppermint sticks, coarsely crushed

Garnish

1. Store-bought peppermint bark

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty foil to prevent leaking. Spray inside bottom and side of pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press firmly in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Cool crust 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add condensed milk, beating just until blended. Add 1/3 cup whipping cream, the flour and vanilla; beat just until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended. Pour over crust.
3.  Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes. Run small metal spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
4. Run small metal spatula around edge of cheesecake; carefully remove foil and side of pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave 3/4 cup whipping cream on High 1 minute or until hot. Add chocolate chips; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour ganache over cheesecake; smooth ganache with spatula. Let stand 10 minutes. Gently press crushed peppermint sticks into side of cheesecake. Cover; refrigerate any remaining cheesecake. Garnish with peppermint bark, if desired.

Notes

1. For easy cleanup, place waxed paper strips under edges of cheesecake on serving plate. When you pour the ganache, it will drip onto the waxed paper. Gently remove waxed paper strips after the 10-minute standing time.

By Betty Crocker

 

~Bridget

Beer & Bowling on Special Tues nights at AMF

 Get ready for fun nights bowling!  AMF has a special offer!

To contact AMF customer service, click here.

~Bridget