holiday apricot coffee cake

This is one of those recipes that can take me back to childhood in an instant. Originally my paternal grandmother's, I've updated it quite a bit, and it's now one of my families favorites.

Ingredients:

bread dough (homemade or 2 loaves of bridgeford frozen directions through first rise)

1 package dried apricots

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup sugar

1 lb powdered sugar

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp milk

1/2 fresh squeezed lemon

Directions:

Place dried apricots in a sauce pan, and cover completely with water. Cook on medium, until mushy, adding additional water in batches, if necessary, until apricots are soft and mushy. Add sugar and almond extract, stirring until sugar dissolves. Use an immersion blender to combine, but don’t fully puree. Cool.

After bread dough has risen, place on floured surface and roll into a rectangle approximately 12" x 18" and about 1/4 inch thick.

Spread the apricots on to the dough.

Roll dough, with apricots inside, lengthwise.

Leave seam on bottom

Transfer dough to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and form into a ring.

Using scissors, snip the top diagonally around the ring.

Cover with a light cloth and set aside until the dough rises again to double its size (approximately 1 hour). Or, cover with a light cloth and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Bake in a 350 oven for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown.

Whisk together powdered sugar milk, butter and lemon, adding additional small amounts of milk as needed.

Spread icing on warm coffee cake, so it will melt and drip down sides.