Candy Cane Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 2 packages yeast dry quick
• 0.5 cup water (105°F to 115°F)
• 1.3 cups buttermilk 
• 2  eggs 
• 5.5 cups flour all-purpose for flour or gold flour
• 0.5 cup butter softened
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 2 teaspoons salt 
• 1.5 cups apricot dried chopped
• 1.5 cups maraschino cherries drained chopped
• 1.5 cups cinnamon candies red

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl.
2. Add buttermilk, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. (Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.)
3. Grease 3 cookie sheets. Turn dough onto well-floured surface; gently knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 3 equal parts.
4. Roll one part into rectangle, 15x9 inches.
5. Place rectangle on cookie sheet.
6. Mix apricots and chopped cherries.
7. Spread one-third of the apricot mixture in a strip about 2 1/2 inches wide lengthwise down center of rectangle. Make cuts in dough at 1/2-inch intervals on both 15-inch sides almost to filling. Fold strips over filling, overlapping and crossing in center. Carefully stretch dough until 22 inches long; curve one end to form top of cane. Repeat with remaining 2 parts of dough. Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
8. Heat oven to 375°F.
9. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Drizzle Glaze over warm coffee cakes. Decorate with cinnamon candies.