Surprise Coffee Ring Food

ORANGE PULL-APART COFFEE RING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the sugar, egg yolks, butter, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 24 pieces; shape into balls. In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and orange zest. , Sprinkle 1/4 cup almonds into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Dip half the balls in melted butter; roll in sugar mixture. Arrange over almonds. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup almonds. Repeat with remaining balls. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake on lowest oven rack at 350° for 38-42 minutes or until golden brown (cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly). Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a platter.

CINNAMON COFFEE RING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream., Spoon a third of the batter into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Combine the cinnamon, nuts and remaining sugar; sprinkle a third over batter. Repeat layers twice., Bake at 350° for 65-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

CINNAMON-SWIRL COFFEE RING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla; gradually add to dry ingredients, beating until combined. , For filling, combine cottage cheese, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. , Spoon half of the batter into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan; top with filling and remaining batter. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

COFFEE CAKE RING

Steps:

• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15x12-in. rectangle. Spread filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. (If using Fruity Cream Cheese Filling, spread with cream cheese mixture; set jam aside.) Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. place, seam side down, on a greased 12-in. pizza pan; pinch ends together to form a ring. With scissors, cut from outside edge two-thirds of the way toward center of the ring at 1-1/2-in. intervals (see photos below right). Separate pieces; slightly twist to show filling. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. (If using Fruity Cream Cheese Filling, place 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of each slice.) Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. , For glaze, combine sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. drizzle over coffee cake.

CINNAMON CROISSANT COFFEE CAKE (PRINCESS RING)

Steps:

• Prepare ring:
• Butter a 24-centimeter (about 9-inch) springform pan and line with a round of parchment paper. Butter paper and remove side of pan.
• Stir together sugars and cinnamon.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as necessary, into a 24- by 9-inch rectangle. Brush off excess flour with pastry brush and trim edges with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.
• Arrange dough so that a long side is nearest you and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over dough, leaving a 1-inch border along bottom edge. Brush border with some beaten egg and chill remaining egg. Fold top edge of dough over about 1 inch. Using both hands, roll dough toward you: Use your thumbs to tuck dough under and tighten as you go, working your way down entire length of log (as when rolling up a poster), and gently rock dough back and forth to keep it taut and even. When finished, roll log back and forth over seam to seal.
• Transfer log, seam side down, to bottom of springform pan, bringing both ends of log together to make a ring. Beginning 2 inches from where ends meet, make vertical cuts from outside of ring toward center at 2-inch intervals, cutting halfway through ring.
• Let ring rise:
• Attach side of pan and slide pan into garbage bag, propping up top of bag with inverted glasses to keep it from touching dough, then tuck open end under pan. Let ring rise until slightly puffy and spongy to the touch, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Make streusel while ring is rising:
• Blend flour and sugar in a food processor. Add frozen butter and pulse until very finely chopped. Chill streusel until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Gently brush top and center of ring with some of remaining beaten egg, then sprinkle with streusel. Bake in middle of oven until top is browned and streusel is crisp, about 45 minutes.
• Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge to loosen and remove side of pan.