A fancy version of Cinnamon Rolls — and easy, too!
This pastry looks like you spent hours slaving over the dough. In reality, it takes 2 hours from start to finish because it is basically my cinnamon roll recipe (well, maybe it takes a bit more than 2 hours when you add the frosting glaze).
I made this for the breakfast after the Sunday school Christmas program, and there wasn’t much left to take home!
2 cups warm water
2 packages of dry yeast (or 4 teaspoons bulk yeast)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cooking oil (I like to use Canola oil)
2 eggs
6 to 7 cups of flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
To decorate:
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walnuts
candied cherries
Frosting Glaze:
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3 to 4 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
a pinch of salt
Add water or milk by the tablespoon until the glaze will dribble off a spoon.
Measure warm water into a large mixing bowl and dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, salt, cooking oil. Beat in eggs. Beat in 2 to 3 cups of flour. Stir in remaining flour. Knead on a floured surface. If dough is too sticky, knead in a little more flour, a quarter cup at a time.
Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
Knead dough for a few minutes.
Roll out dough into a rectangle approximately 24 inches long by about 16 inches wide. Spread with soft butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Beginning on the wide side, roll up dough. When the dough is rolled, be sure the seam is on the bottom. Grasp dough on each end and pull gently to stretch the dough another couple of inches.
Cut the roll of dough in half.
Grease two cookie sheets.
Take each end of one roll and put them together on the cookie sheet to form a circle. Use a scissors to cut about a third to a half the way through the dough at two inch intervals all around the circle. Gently turn the dough outward. That is, grasp the dough and turn it on its side so that the cuts are on the outside instead of on the top.
Repeat with the other roll.
Set in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 35 minutes.
Allow the tea rings to cool completely.
Frost with powder sugar glaze. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the tea rings. Decorate with walnuts and/or candied cherries before the glaze has a chance to set.
Cut into slices to serve.
Note:
This recipe makes two *large* tea rings.