Mimi's Cheese Coffee Braid

Total Time: 3 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packages dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups flour (about)
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 (8 ounce) container cream-style cottage cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 egg yolk (save the to put on braid before baking)

Recipe

• 1 combine sugar, salt, yeast, and 1 cup flour in a bowl.
• 2 in a saucepan heat the butter and water until very warm (but not too hot as that will kill the yeast--about 115 degrees).
• 3 with mixer on low speed, beat the liquid into the dry ingredients and then at medium speed, beat for 2 minutes.
• 4 beat in the egg and 3/4 cup flour and beat for 2 more minutes.
• 5 stir in 1 1/4 cups flour and then turn out on a floured board and knead adding flour if you need it.
• 6 put into a greased bowl and rise for 1 hour.
• 7 meanwhile prepare the filling.
• 8 filling:.
• 9 press the cottage cheese through a fine sieve into a bowl. beat on low speed with cream cheese, confectioners sugar, lemon peel, and egg yolk till well blended.
• 10 back to the dough:.
• 11 punch down the dough and cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
• 12 grease a large cookie sheet.
• 13 roll dough out to a to 12x15 rectangle.
• 14 spread the filling in a 4" strip lengthwise down the center.
• 15 it is at this point you would put the cherry pie filling--as much as you want--on top of the cheese.
• 16 cut dough on both sides of filling crosswise into 1" strips.
• 17 place strips at an angle across filling, alternating sides for braided effect.
• 18 place braid on cookie sheet; cover and let rise till double.
• 19 beat an egg and brush on braid.
• 20 bake in 350°f oven for 20 minutes or till browned.
• 21 cool 15 minutes.
• 22 if you want to drizzle some thin icing on top, that is also good.