ORANGE WREATH RECIPES

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine dried cherries with orange liqueur. Add water until cherries are just covered and soak for 1 hour.
• Make Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together yeast, warm milk, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Set aside for 10 minutes until frothy. Add flour, salt, and vegetable oil; stir together until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until dough no longer sticks to the surface, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rest at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Make Filling: In a stand mixer, cream together almond paste and butter on medium until smooth. Add flour and lemon zest, and mix until well combined. Drain cherries from soaking liquid. Add drained cherries to filling, gently folding in the cherries with a spatula.
• Generously flour a work surface. Punch down dough to remove excess gas and transfer to floured work surface. Flour the dough and use a rolling pin to roll dough into a 9- x- 32-inch rectangle. Sprinkle almond filling evenly over rectangle and use a spatula or your hands to evenly spread the filling over the dough. Starting at the long edge nearest yourself, tightly begin to roll the dough and filling to the other long side of the rectangle, making a tight and even rolled rope. Generously flour your surface again and using a large knife, cut the rope in half longwise, exposing the inside of the roll all the way down and creating two long pieces.
• Take each long piece of dough and wrap them around each other by lifting one piece over and then under the other until the two ropes are entirely intertwined. Work so that the exposed layers are facing up and the smooth layer of dough is facing down. Bring the two ends of the braided pieces together and tuck one under the other creating a seamless ring. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rest until puffy, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap from pastry, brush entire surface of pastry with egg wash, and transfer to preheated oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
• Make Glaze: Combine powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk. Add more milk 1 teaspoonful at a time until a desired pourable consistency is reached. Drizzle glaze over wreath and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Steps:

• Soak cranberries in 1 cup boiling water 15 minutes; drain and pat dry. Combine milk, yeast, and 1/3 cup sugar in bowl of a stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Gradually add 1 cup flour, beating at low speed until blended; scrape down sides. Add salt and 1 cup butter; beat at low speed until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour, beating until blended. Increase speed to medium, and beat until dough forms a ball and begins to pull away from sides. Beat dough 2 more minutes or until smooth and elastic. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 minutes.
• Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (80° to 85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down, and turn out onto lightly floured parchment paper. Roll dough into a 12- x 18-inch rectangle.
• Brush 6 Tbsp. soft butter over dough; sprinkle with cranberries, orange zest, and 1/2 cup sugar. Roll up dough, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side. Press edge to seal, and place dough, seam side down, on parchment paper.
• Transfer parchment paper with dough onto a baking sheet. Shape rolled dough into a ring, pressing ends together to seal. Cut ring at 2-inch intervals, from outer edge up to (but not through) inside edge. Gently pull and twist cut pieces to show filling. Cover dough.
• Let rise in a warm place (80° to 85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 350°. Uncover dough. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter; brush over dough. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden. Cool on pan 10 minutes.
• Beat together cream cheese and 1 Tbsp. softened butter in a medium bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar to cream cheese mixture alternately with 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice, beating at medium speed after each addition. Add up to 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice, 1 tsp. at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over bread.
• Make-Ahead Tip
• Freshly Baked Bread: Make the dough (through Step 4) a day ahead. Chill overnight. Let the dough come to room temperature and rise in the morning. Then bake and serve.