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Lacy Valentine Coffee Cake

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This Lacy Valentine Coffee Cake makes a very beautiful and festive bread for Valentine's Day or for any special day. It is formed in the shape of a heart; filled with cherries and slivered almonds and glazed with a delicious almond glaze. View the step-by-step instructions in the bread-baking-blog.

Ingredients:

Dough
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110^oF)
2 envelopes Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup warm milk (100 to 110^oF)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained
1/2 cup chopped slivered almonds, toasted

Almond Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:

Makes: 2 Coffee Cakes

Place warm water in large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add warm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, salt, and 1-1/2 cups flour; blend well. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Pat maraschino cherries between paper towels to remove excess moisture. In medium bowl, combine maraschino cherries, almonds, and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.

Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll 1 half to 24 x 7-inch oval. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter; brush half over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle half of cherry mixture over dough. Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seam to seal; gently roll back and forth to stretch to 26-inch rope. Place, seam side down, on greased baking sheet. Form into ring; pinch ends together to seal. Shape into heart.

With sharp knife, cut slits, starting at outside edge of heart, two-thirds of the way through dough at 3/4-inch intervals. Turn each section on its side to show filling. Repeat with remaining dough, butter, and cherry mixture. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake at 350oF for 20 to 25 minutes or until done, switching positions of sheets halfway through baking time for even browning. Remove from sheets; let cool on wire racks. Frost with Almond Glaze.

Almond Glaze: In small bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted; 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; and 2 to 3 tablespoons milk. Stir until smooth.
Nutritional Information:

Per Serving:
Serving size: 1 slice (1/24 of recipe)
calories 205; total fat 5g; saturated fat 2g;
cholesterol 25mg; sodium 181mg; total carbohydrate 37g; dietary fiber 1g; protein 4g.

Source: Photo and recipe Courtesy © 2010 ACH Foods. All Rights Reserved.

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