Swedish Tea Ring

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups body temp. water
• 2 tablespoons dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup lard, melted and cooled a bit or 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 dash nutmeg
• raisins (optional) or chopped apples (optional) or dried reconstituted and chopped apricot (optional)

Recipe

• 1 dissolve yeast in warm water until dissolved.
• 2 add next three ingredients and beat well.
• 3 add egg and lard then stir.
• 4 mix in 3 1/2 cups of flour.
• 5 gradually add the rest of the flour until dough is easy to handle.
• 6 place in large bowl.
• 7 grease top of dough and cover.
• 8 refrigerate until double.
• 9 (may be left overnight and used early the next morning).
• 10 preheat oven to 375 degrees f.
• 11 punch down dough.
• 12 roll out 1/2 the dough into an oblong and butter well.
• 13 sprinkle w/ sugar and spice mix.
• 14 add fruit layer if you like.
• 15 roll up as a jellyroll.
• 16 place on large baking sheet and join ends together to form circle of dough.
• 17 using kitchen scissors, snip 2/3 way thru in 1 inch intervals.
• 18 turn sections until one sections lays on top of the next completing the ring.
• 19 let raise until double.
• 20 bake until 30 minutes or so until done.
• 21 using spatulas remove ring to seving plate while it is still very warm.
• 22 pour confectioners sugar glaze over warm ring and decorate w/ nuts, cherries etc.