Breakfast: Swedish Tea Ring (aka Apple Ring)

From Shelly Carey
Note: This is my Grandmother’s recipe. Many family members request that she make this recipe for their birthday. You can omit the nuts and or raisins, if you prefer.

Ingredients:
Filling
9 – 10 oz dehydrated apples
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups water
1 ½ cups chopped pecans (optional)
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups raisins (optional)
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
Sweet Dough
2 packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup warm water (105-115 F)
2 eggs
½ cup lukewarm milk (scalded & cooled)
½ cup sugar
½ cup shortening or butter, softened
4 ½ - 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vanilla “Drizzle”
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3-4 Tablespoons warm milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
In a large saucepan, add 2 cups water, dried apples, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup butter and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer. Stir every 20 minutes. Add small amounts of water when needed (if needed). Mash with potato masher. Consistency should be thick, like mashed potatoes. Add pecans, raisins and vanilla.

For dough, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening & 2 ½ cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured board; knead until elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 ½ hours. (Dough is ready if impression remains when touched with finger). Punch down. Let rest 15 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 pieces. Divide filling into four, as well. Doing so will yield four separate apple rings.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough (first ¼ portion of the entire recipe) into a 10 x 18-inch rectangle. Brush with 2 Tablespoons butter; sprinkle with 1 T. sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon. Spread ¼ of total apple mixture over dough. Roll up starting at long end. Place on greased pan. Join ends to form a ring; seal ends. With scissors, cut two-thirds of the way through the ring, at 1-inch intervals. Turn each section on its side. Let double in volume, about 45 minutes.

Repeat steps in the previous paragraph for the three remaining portions of dough and filling. You should end-up with a total of four apple rings. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes. If you would like to make buns like “Cinnabuns”, just cut through the entire roll and lay each piece flat on it’s side in a pie pan.

For vanilla drizzle, mix all ingredients. Brush or spread over the apple rings, while still slightly warm.