Reader Recipe:

Hungarian Cheese-Filled Coffee Cake

Submitted by Walter Matthews

• 2 packages yeast, active dry or compressed
• 1/2 cup warm water (lukewarm for compressed yeast)
• 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine
• 5 cups regular all-purpose flour
  (sift before measuring)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup (1/2 pt.) sour cream
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 jar ( 10 oz.) apricot jam
• Powdered sugar

Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Melt butter. Sift flour again with 3/4 cup of the sugar and the salt into a large bowl. Beat egg yolks until thick and light; blend in sour cream and melted butter; stir in dissolved yeast. Gradually stir the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing to make a soft, smooth dough. Turn out on a light floured board and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. Turn into a bowl, cover, and let rise until almost doubled in bulk.

Meanwhile, prepare cheese filling. Cream the cheese until light and blend in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Add the whole eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Blend in vanilla.

Punch down dough and knead a few minutes. Lightly flour a board; roll out dough into a large circle, about 18 inches in diameter, and lay it over a greased 3-quart ring mold. (If you are using two 9-inch ring molds instead, divide dough in half, and roll each into a circle about 13 inches in diameter.) Fit the dough down into the bottom and sides of the ring mold, being careful not to poke holes in it, and let it hang over the outside. Pour in the cheese filling.

Lift outside edges of dough, and lap over filling; seal to inside ring of dough. Cut a cross in the dough which covers the center of the ring mold and fold each triangle formed back over the ring. Let rise until doubled in bulk (until dough comes up to top of the pan).

Bake in a moderate oven (350*) for 40 minutes, or until golden grown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (If you use two 9-inch ring molds, bake at 350* for 30 minutes.) Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out with top side down onto a rack.

When bread ring is cool, heat jam until it runs easily; carefully spoon jam over the ring. When set, dust lightly with powdered sugar by shaking about 2 tablespoons sugar through a sieve. To serve, slice the ring in 1-inch wedges. Makes about 2 dozen slices.