Candy Cane Coffee Cake

Ingredients

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

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 375F.
9. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Drizzle Glaze over warm coffee cakes. Decorate with cinnamon candies.