Sugar-Plum Ring - Maurine G.

I chose to do this during the holidays for it's very "festive" look.  It reminds me a lot of traditional Monkey Bread, made from scratch not with Rhodes dough.  The dough is light and airy and the flavor is good.  I maybe would add a little more salt, but that would be personal taste.  I used candied cherries and pineapple because I had it and it needed to be used.  I also used slivered almonds.  The big mistake I made was I put it in a "tube pan" as called for, which I thought was an angel food cake pan, and the gooey stuff leaked out the bottom.  Luckily it didn't start on fire while baking.  Guess what I am doing today.  Don't do that.  Use a solid bottom pan.

Sugar-Plum Ring - Maurine G.

1  pkg. dry yeast (2 tsps.)                                 2  Beaten Eggs
1/4  C. Warm Water                                        1/4  C. Melted Butter
1/2  C. Scalded Milk                                        3/4  C. Sugar
1/3  C. Sugar                                                   1  tsp. Cinnamon
1/3  C. Shortening                                            1/2  C. Whole Blanched Almonds  (I used slivered)
1  tsp.  Salt                                                      1/2  C. Candied Whole Cherries  (cut in half)
3  3/4 - 4  C. Flour                                          1/3  C. Dark Karo Syrup

Soften yeast in warm water.  Combine scalded milk, 1/3  C. sugar, shortening and salt.  Cool.  Stir in 1  C. flour, beat well.  Add yeast and eggs, mix.  Add remaining flour or enough to make a soft dough. Mix thoroughly and place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.  Cover and let rise until double.  Punch down and let rest 10 min.  Divide dough into 4 parts.  Each part should be cut into 10 pieces and shaped into balls.  Dip balls in melted butter, then in the sugar cinnamon blend.  Arrange 1/3 of the balls in greased 10" tube pan.  Sprinkle with almonds and cherries.  Repeat, 2 more layers.  Make syrup of left over butter and Karo syrup, then drizzle over the top.  Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour.  Bake in 350o F. oven for 30 min.  Cool 5 minutes, invert pan and remove ring.  (Mine was on plate right side up)