From the blog For Love of the Table
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast (1 envelope)
2 T. warm water
1/2 c. milk
3 T. unsalted butter
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 t. salt
zest of one large orange
1 egg
1/2 t. decorticated cardamom, finely ground in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder (if you don’t have decorticated, substitute ground cardamom)
2 1/2 to 3 c. all-purpose flour (10 to 12 oz.)
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. pistachios (2 1/4 oz.), lightly toasted
1/2 c. dried cranberries
3 T. melted butter
Soften the yeast in the warm water. While the yeast is proofing, scald the milk. Remove the milk from the heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the sugar and salt. At this point, the mixture should have cooled sufficiently, but if you are unsure, simply check it with an instant read thermometer to make sure the mixture is under 115°F. Add this warm milk/sugar mixture to the softened yeast and whisk to combine. Whisk in the egg, zest and cardamom. Add 1 c. of the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour (about 1 1/2 cups) to form a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (5 to 10 minutes), using only enough of the remaining half cup of flour to keep the dough from sticking. Place the dough in a buttered bowl. Turn the dough to coat with butter and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours).
While the dough rises, prepare the filling: Place the sugar and pistachios in the food processor. Process until the nuts are finely ground. Add the cranberries and pulse until chopped medium fine. Set aside (cover with plastic if storing overnight or for several hours).
When the dough is fully risen, knock it back and place it on a lightly floured surface. (Or, preferably, after deflating the dough, cover again and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, deflate again before proceeding.) Roll the dough out to a large thin rectangle (about 10- by 20-inches), making sure that the long side runs parallel to the edge of the work surface in front of you. Brush the dough with 3 T. of melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch strip across the top bare. Scatter the filling evenly over the buttered dough, leaving the aforementioned 1/2-inch strip bare. I like to take my rolling pin and run it—with very light pressure—over the filling to help it adhere.
Starting with the edge nearest you, roll the dough up snugly, jellyroll-style (as for cinnamon rolls). Pinch the long seam to seal. Turn the roll so that the seam is on the bottom. Form the roll into a ring by bringing the ends together and pinching to seal. Place the ring on a parchment lined baking sheet. With a large sharp knife or a bench scraper, make sixteen to twenty very deep cuts all around the outside of the ring. Turn each slice a quarter turn to expose the cross-section of the ring, pulling out and away from the center slightly as you do and thus expanding the diameter of the ring. The cross-sections should overlap one another just slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes to an hour). The proofed wreath will look puffy and slightly swollen and when gently pressed with a floured fingertip, the indentation will remain.
Bake the ring at 375° until puffed and golden brown—about 18 to 20 minutes (the internal temperature will be somewhere between 180° and 190°). Remove from the oven and slide onto a wire rack. Let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle with the powdered sugar icing—using a spoon or a parchment paper piping bag. Serves 8 to 16 (depending on appetites and other things being served).
Powdered Sugar Icing: Mix 2/3 c. powdered sugar with 1 T. milk. Adjust the consistency as necessary with more powdered sugar or milk to form a thick glaze that drizzles slowly from a spoon.
http://www.forloveofthetable.com/2014/12/christmas-breakfast-holiday-wreath.html
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