Christmas morning tea ring

Let me share with you one of my family’s traditions for Christmas morning — a yummy tea ring!

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t Everyone has traditions for Christmas morning. Ours was waking up to presents that had been placed under the tree by Santa during the night, checking to see if he’d eaten the cookies we’d left for him and eating Mom’s yummy tea ring.

t We have continued this tradition with our kids, and they love this recipe, too. It is easy to make and can be made ahead of time and placed in the freezer. Just take it out the night before you are going to serve it. Right before you are ready to serve it, wrap it up in aluminum foil and heat it in the oven till warm. Enjoy!

t Your favorite Chick from the North — Jill

Cinnamon-and-sugar tea ring

t Makes 3 tea rings

Ingredients:

t Dough

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• 2-1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

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• 2 packages active dry yeast

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• 1 package yellow cake mix (without pudding)

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• 4-1/2 to 5 cups flour

t Filling

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• 1/2 cup butter, melted

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• 1 cup sugar

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• 1/2 cup cinnamon

t Frosting

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• 4 tablespoons butter, softened

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• 2 cups powdered sugar

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• 5 tablespoons milk

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• 1 teaspoon vanilla

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Directions:

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1. To make the dough, combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl. Let it stand for 10 minutes or until it’s foamy.

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2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture and yellow cake mix. Using a wooden spoon, mix thoroughly by hand. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.

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3. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Place 1 piece on a lightly floured surface and roll half the dough out into a rectangle. Spread approximately 3 tablespoons of melted margarine evenly over the dough. Sprinkle approximately 1/3 of a cup of white sugar and 3 to 4 tablespoons of cinnamon evenly over the butter.

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4. Roll the dough lengthwise into a spiral. Form the spiral into a ring, pinch the edges together and cut the rolled-up dough into slits.

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5. Repeat with the remaining dough to make a total of 3 rings.

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6. Arrange the rings onto greased baking pans and let them rise until they’ve almost doubled in size. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

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7. Bake the rings in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

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8. While the rings bake, combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl and beat until smooth.

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9. Remove the rings from the oven and let them cool slightly before spreading frosting evenly over their tops. Enjoy them warm or freeze them and reheat later.