Cinnamon Wreath

Cinnamon Wreath.  Doesn't that just sound like a winter-time wonder?  Of course, being the crazy person I am, I made this recipe for the first time in the middle of summer.  The name might throw some of your - in my opinion it should be called Cinnamon BUN Wreath.  It is SUPER easy to make - a wonderful in-house recipe - and leaves you with a final product that looks (and smells) like you spent HOURS working to achieve.

Cinnamon Wreath
Dough

• 2 c flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c lukewarm water
• 1 envelope dry active yeast
• 2 T butter, melted (I use margarine)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 T sugar

Filling

• 4 T butter, softened (again I use margarine)
• 4-5 T sugar
• 3 t cinnamon

Glaze (optional)

• 3 c Confectioner's Sugar
• 3 T Milk
• 1 t Vanilla
• 1/4 c Butter or Margarine, softened

1. To make the dough - combine the sugar, yeast and water in a bowl.  Set aside until bubbling.  Once yeast mixture is ready, add egg yolk, flour, salt and butter to mixture.  Mix/knead till dough ball is formed.  Place dough ball in a greased bowl and cover with cling wrap.  Place bowl in a warm spot to allow dough to double in size (about an hour).  
2. Preheat oven to 400 F (I normally place bowl on the oven while it is preheating.)  While dough is rising, melt the butter for the filling and mix in the sugar and cinnamon.  Set aside.
3. Once dough has double in size, turn out the dough ball on a lightly floured surface.  
4. Roll flat and spread the butter mixture over the top.  (you want to make sure your butter mixture isn't too runny, which is why I melt and mix right after setting the dough aside, so the melted butter has time to cool down and coagulate again.)
5. Once the entire surface is covered, roll up the dough lengthwise and use a knife to cut it down the center.
6. Braid the two halves around each other.  Form the braided rope into a circle.
7. Place the wreath onto a lightly greased baking sheet (I use my stone).
8. Bake in a 400F oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.  Once the wreath starts to brown, reduce the oven to 350F for 10-15 minutes until golden to ensure it doesn't burn.
9. You can top your wreath with icing (powdered sugar and water), powdered sugar, glaze or just eat as is.  

 You will see in my pictures that I rolled my dough the wrong way, so my wreath is on the smaller side prior to cooking and very bulky after cooking.

The nutritional content of the wreath is :
1549 Calories

27 Protein

227 Carbs
47 Fat

This way you can divide it up into however many sections you want!!

I will update more pictures the next time I make one - I promise to pay attention to my baking the next time!!

UPDATE:

Tis the season for APPLES!!  Blueberry bars were not an option this morning due to a significant lack of blueberries (seriously how did I let my supply dwindle to 1/4 of a cup?!); therefore I needed to think of a replacement for Casey's birthday extravaganza - CINNAMON WREATH!!!  Seeing it was a gorgeously fall feeling day when I woke up this morning I decided to tweak the recipe a little to include that fall feeling.  Add the apples!  I peeled and diced ONE apple and added it to the filling mixture.  It smells WONDERFUL and I cannot wait to taste it.  If you are joining the festivities you will be able to tell me your opinion, if not - try it yourself!

Diced apple added into the filling - looks yummy!

Don't mind the old and well loved cookie sheet - this is the second wreath I made today and my stone was dirty.