Apricot Coffeecake
Cake
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange oil or 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
6 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon melted butter, to coat dough
Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour. Let sit
for 10 minutes to give the yeast a chance to get going. Add the milk, eggs,
sugar, extract, orange oil, butter, and salt. Stir to mix well.
Add the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough forms a shaggy mass. Turn the
dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it to form a smooth and
satiny ball. Add more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the
counter. Place the dough in a bowl and pour the melted butter on top. Spread the
butter over the dough with your fingertips. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or
a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size.
This will take about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Divide the
dough into two pieces and knead each one briefly to expel any air bubbles. Roll
each piece of dough into a rectangle 1/4" thick, 6" wide and 15" long. Spread
each rectangle with filling. Leave a 1" border on the two long edges.
Roll each rectangle up, starting with the long edge. Place each log on a cookie
sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Join the ends of the log
together to form a circle. Pinch well to seal the ends together.
Let the coffee cakes rise for 15 minutes. Make several parallel slashes 1" deep
in each coffee cake. Let rise again, this time for 20 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 350�F oven for 25 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes
before cutting.
Almond Apricot Filling:
2 cups boiling water
2 8-oz. boxes dried apricots
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
Pour the boiling water over the apricots and cover with plastic wrap so that
they can steam. When the apricots have softened, drain them. You can reserve the
flavored water for bread dough if you wish. Combine the apricots, sugar, and
extract in a food processor and pulse until you have a thick puree.
Yield: Filling for two loaves.
Nutrition information per serving (1 piece or 1/8 of cake, 131 g): 280 cal, 6 g
fat, 5 g protein, 39 g complex carbohydrates, 10 g sugar, 4 g dietary fiber, 49
mg cholesterol, 137 mg sodium, 458 mg potassium, 3 mg iron, 79 mg calcium, 82 mg
phosphorus. |