Apricot Rum Raisins

Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Housewife inspired me to make these a few weeks ago so I dug deep into the recipe archives to find grams recipe as I hadn't made them in years. Kristen's directions are much easier and clearer than grams as well as much more up to date. Thanks Kristen.

APRICOT RUM RAISINS

1 cup butter

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons yeast

4 eggs, beaten

7 1/2 cups flour

• In a saucepan melt butter.
• Add milk and water whisking until smooth consistency and JUST boiling.
  
• Cool 5-10 minutes so you don't kill the yeast.
• Add the sugar, salt and yeast to form a sponge like blob.
  
• Add the eggs until uniform consisitency.
  
• In a mixer with a dough hook attached, combine flour and yeast mixture.
  
• Knead well. Put in refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight is better.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  
• Roll a ball of dough the size of a golf ball into a rope and coil into a circle. Make sure the center is thinner than the outer edges to hold the filling in. Sometimes I prefer squares, but you just have to work with your dough after you have it coiled.
  
• Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling per danish (recipe below).
  
• Let rise an hour in a warm place.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. If you prefer a drizzle thin out this frosting with a couple extra tablespoons of milk until desired consistency.
  

Cream cheese apricot raisin filling

1 bag large dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped

1/4 cup golden rum

• Soak apricots and raisins in rum for an hour or overnight.
• Drain off rum.
• Set aside.
  

8oz pkg cream cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tablespoons grated orange peel

• Blend cream cheese, egg, powdered sugar and orange peel together until smooth.
• Fold in apricots and raisins into the cream cheese mixture. Or my favorite is to fill them as 2 separate fillings with the cream cheese first and the apricot in the center of that.
  

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