Nannys Christmas Tea Ring Recipes

CHRISTMAS TEA RING

Steps:

• Roll bread dough into a rectangle 8 inches wide and 15 inches long. Spread butter over the bread, leaving about 1/2 inch of a long edge unbuttered. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the buttered part of the dough.
• Starting with the long edge opposite the unbuttered edge, tightly roll the dough over the filling; seal the roll along the unbuttered edge to make a log.
• Lightly grease a 12-inch round cake pan or baking dish; place dough into the pan and form a ring, pinching the two ends together to seal. Use kitchen scissors or sharp knife to make cuts 3/4 inch deep into the outside of the ring. Twist the cut sections of dough slightly to reveal filling.
• Cover the tea ring with a cloth, place into a warm area, and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake tea ring in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil after 15 minutes if tea ring starts to brown too quickly. Let tea ring cool in pan for about 10 minutes before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack.
• Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl to make a smooth frosting. Spread top of the tea ring with frosting.

CHERRY TEA RING

Steps:

• For Bread:.
• In small saucepan, heat and stir milk and butter until warm and butter almost melts.
• Cool to lukewarm (105-115 degrees F).
• In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast into 1/2 cup warm water.
• Stir in milk mixture, 3 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, and salt.
• Use wooden spoon to stir in as much of remaining flour as possible.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.
• Knead in enough of remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes total).
• Shape into ball and place into greased bowl, turning once in order to grease entire surface of dough.
• Cover and let rise in warm place until doubles in size about 1-1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down.
• Turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• Divide dough in half, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• In medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to boiling, remove from heat.
• Add cherries and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Drain, squeezing out excess water of cherries. Set aside.
• In medium mixing bowl, mix 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and cinnamon.
• Cut 1/2 cup butter into mixture until crumbly and set aside.
• Roll half of dough into 15 x 9 rectangle.
• Sprinkle half of the cinnamon filling evenly over dough.
• Sprinkle with half of cherries.
• Roll up, jelly roll style, starting from long side.
• Seal seam.
• Grease two baking pans (cookie sheets).
• Place dough roll on one of prepared baking pans.
• Attach ends of dough to form a circle.
• Pinch to seal ends.
• Use sharp knife to cut slits at 1 inch intervals around ring.
• Cover, let dough rise again until double in size, about 30 minutes.
• Repeat with remaining dough, cinnamon mix, and cherries.
• Bake both rings in 350 degree F oven for about 25 minutes or until tea rings sound hollow when you tap tops. (if necessary cover tops with foil for last 5-10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning.).
• Transfer to wire racks and cool completely.
• Drizzle with icing. . .
• For icing:.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and almond extract.
• Stir in enough cream to make drizzling consistency.
• If desired, add red food color to icing.

SWEDISH TEA RING

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm milk and let sit for 5 minutes until frothy. Meanwhile, put flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and cut in 1 cup butter until particles are fine. Add 1/2 cup cream, eggs, softened yeast and currants; mix well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
• For filling: cream 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in pecans and set aside.
• Divide dough into 6 parts. Roll out each part on floured surface to a 12x6" rectangle and spread each with 1/6 of the pecan filling. Roll up, starting with 12" side, pinching dough to seal. Place in a crescent shape on foil-lined or parchment-lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Make cuts along outside edge of crescent, 1" apart, to within 1/2" of other side. Turn cut pieces on their sides, twisting the dough slightly. Repeat with remaining dough to make six tea cakes. (Three cakes may fit on one cookie sheet.).
• Let rise in warm place until light, about 45 minutes. You can also, at this point, refrigerate the tea cakes, covered, overnight. Then bake as directed in the morning, adding 5-10 minutes to baking time. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Carefully remove from cookie sheets to wire racks using 2 spatulas and frost while warm.
• For frosting, heat 1/2 cup butter in heavy saucepan. Watching carefully, cook butter until it just begins to turn light brown. It burns very easily, so don't leave the stove during this step! Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough cream for desired spreading consistency. Frost tea cakes.