Cranberry Cheese Coffee Cakes

Makes 2

3 ½ – 4 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 package rapid rise yeast

1/3 cup shortening

½ cup water

½ cup milk

1 egg

1 can (16 oz) whole cranberry sauce

Crushed pineapple *

Cornstarch – added slowly, just enough to thicken

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel or 1 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg white

½ cup sliced almonds, divided

¼ cup sugar, divided

Cream Cheese Filling

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 egg yolk

Mix until fluffy and smooth.

Mix 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and yeast in large bowl.  Heat shortening, water and milk to 125-130 degrees (shortening may not be melted).  Stir into flour mixture.  Mix in egg, beat until smooth – about 2 minutes.  Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough that’s easy to handle.  Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth, 3-5 minutes.  Cover and let rise 10 minutes.

Grease 2 round 9” cake pans.  Mix cranberry sauce with lemon peel.  Reserve. (I add some crushed pineapple that I’ve thickened the juice with some cornstarch* – and you could probably use pie filling instead of the cranberry sauce.)  Divide dough into half.  Roll each half into a 15” circle.  Pat dough evenly into pan.  Press into pan and allow dough to come up sides and hang over edge of pan.  Spread ½ cream cheese mixture over dough in each pan.  Top with ½ of fruit filling mixture.  Make cuts in dough at 1” intervals to about ½” above the filling around the outside edge of dough.  Twist strips and fold over sauce.  Beat egg white until frothy and brush over dough.  Sprinkle each with ¼ cup almonds and 2 tablespoons sugar.  (At this point, coffee cakes can be covered and refrigerated – up to 24 hours; rising may be slightly longer.)  Cover and let rise 45 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Bake until golden brown 30-35 minutes.  Cool slightly, remove from pans.

• I drain the pineapple (usually a small can for this recipe) – Over low heat, thicken juice and cornstarch.  Mix with pineapple and combine with cranberry sauce mixture.
• I make these in disposable pans – and give them to my friends on Christmas Eve with rising and baking instructions.  They are wonderful – not as complicated to make as they look – and MUCH appreciated on Christmas morning!