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Braided and fruit-filled, these shapely coffee cakes are perfect for entertaining or giving as gifts. This delicious recipe is from the award-winning Betty Crocker’s Best Christmas Cookbook.

Candy Cane Coffee Cake

2 (1/4-ounce) packages regular or quick active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt

5 1/2 to 6 cups Gold Medal® Better for Bread™ flour or Gold Medal® all-purpose flour, divided use
1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots
1 1/2 cups chopped drained maraschino cherries
Coffee Cake Glaze
1 1/2 cups red cinnamon candies, if desired

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl.
2. Add buttermilk, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. (Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.)
3. Grease 3 cookie sheets.
4. Turn dough onto well-floured surface; gently knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 3 equal parts.
5. Roll one part into rectangle, 15 x 9-inches. Place rectangle on cookie sheet.
6. Mix apricots and chopped cherries. Spread one-third of the apricot mixture in a strip about 2 1/2-inches wide lengthwise down center of rectangle.
7. Make cuts in dough at 1/2-inch intervals on both 15-inch sides almost to filling.
8. Fold strips over filling, overlapping and crossing in center. Carefully stretch dough until 22-inches long; curve one end to form top of cane. Repeat with remaining 2 parts of dough. Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
9. Heat oven to 375°F.
10. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Drizzle Glaze over warm coffee cakes. Decorate with cinnamon candies.

Makes 3 coffee cakes (12 slices each).

Coffee Cake Glaze:

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

1. Stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth.

How-To Tip:
To keep dried fruit from sticking to your chopping knife, rub the sides of the blade with a little vegetable oil.

Special Touch Tip:
Use holiday cellophane found in party stores to wrap the homemade specialties you plan to place beneath someone’s Christmas tree. Jingle bells attached to bright ribbons can tie up the package.

Nutritional Information: 1 Serving, Calories 155 (Calories from Fat 25 ); Total Fat 3 g (Saturated Fat 2 g); Cholesterol 20 mg; Sodium 190 mg; Total Carbohydrate 30 g (Dietary Fiber 1 g); Protein 3 g% Daily Value: Vitamin A 10 %; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 2 %; Iron 6 %, Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of General Mills, Inc.