Christmas Morning Coffeecale

 Almond Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Dough

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 packages (1/4 ounce each or 4 ½ teaspoons) instant yeast

1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 1/2 cups Ultra Grain all-purpose flour (or 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour)

FILLING:

1 package (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

8 ounces almond paste

GLAZE:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 to 4 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Di+rections

Dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead them together -- by hand, mixer or bread machine -- till you've made a soft, smooth dough. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).

Filling: While the dough is rising, prepare the filling by mixing all of the ingredients together till smooth. Chill till ready to use.

Assembly: 

Cover two baking pans with parchment paper. 

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and divide it in half. Roll each half into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. 

Spread half of the filling on the dough, leaving a half-inch border all around the dough. Fold ⅓ of the dough towards the center and fold the other side on top of the folded side.  See photo.

Cut 1-inch-wide strips from each side of the filling out to the edges of the dough. Seal edges.

Place bread on the prepared pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Baking: Allow the braids to rise, and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. 

Bake the braids for 22 minutes rotating pans halfway through the baking time. 

Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 braids.

You can also shape the dough into one large wreath.