Christmas Tea Rings

These are a tradition in my family-big time. I grew up with my mom delivering tea rings to neighbors and friends in Moab at Christmastime. For years I got out of making them myself and just let my older sisters produce them and deliver to my house. However, moving back east has made me really homesick, especially at Christmastime, so last year I made them. I'm not as good as my mom or sisters, so I had my sister tell me EXACTLY how to make them, step by step, so I would succeed. I stayed up all night long and made batch after batch to deliver to co-workers, neighbors and ward members. They turned out lovely and I'm glad that I am rekindling the Cozzens girls' tradition.

2 c. milk
1 c. mashed potatoes

1/2 c. warm water

2 T. yeast

2 eggs

1 c. sugar

2 t. salt

1/2 c. oil

(One recipe makes about 8 tea rings, depending on size)

Peel, dice and boil about 2 medium potatoes and mash them until they are lump-free (I use ricer) and cool. Scald 2 cups of milk in a heavy pan on medium heat, stirring constantly until bubbles and foam appear at the top (do not boil) and cool (can also do this in the microwave). In a very large bowl add warm water and yeast; sprinkle in a little bit of sugar to help it activate faster. In a smaller bowl, beat eggs and add salt and oil. After yeast sits for 10 minutes and bubbles up, add egg mixture, sugar, potatoes and milk (making sure nothing is too hot). Mix well, making sure there are no lumps from potatoes. Start adding flour, two cups at a time, and mix well with each addition. As soon as the dough is too thick to stir, dump 2 cups of flour on the counter and dump the dough on top. Top with another 2 cups of flour and work in, adding additional flour only as needed (it should remain slightly sticky, adding enough to be able to handle). Kneed dough until it is as smooth as a baby’s bottom (from my grandmother), but still tacky.

*I cheat and do all the kneading in a Kitchen Aid mixer on speed 2. Keep adding flour until you touch it and only a little dough sticks to your fingers. If a lot sticks, add more flour. If nothing sticks, you've added too much. 

Wash out original large bowl and add oil to the bottom and sides. Put dough in the bowl and turn to coat all sides with the oil. Let rise in a warm spot (can use oven if has been warmed, but not hot) for about 45 minutes, or until the dough more than doubles in size.

Divide dough in half and cover remaining section and work with one at a time. Add a little flour to the counter and knead dough for a minute. Then shape into a rectangle and let sit for 5 minutes. Then roll out into a very large rectangle. Spread melted butter and cinnamon-sugar mixture (2 cups dark brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar and 2 T. cinnamon) all over dough, up to the edges. Cut into fourths. Always working toward the raw cut edge, roll smaller rectangles into long logs, like cinnamon rolls, pinching the raw edge together so there is no gap.

Put 6 pieces of tin foil (large enough to cover a cookie sheet) on a table and spray with cooking spray. Set the cinnamon “roll” onto one half of the tin foil. Form a “U” shape and cut both of the ends off (about an inch or so until it looks nice). Using clean, sharp scissors, clip almost all the way into the dough every 1 ½ inches. Twist and turn each individual “roll” until it faces up (all going in the same direction), placing one end slightly on top of the other end. Use the scissors if you need to cut more in order for it to turn completely. Continue with all the rolls, keeping track of which were first. Let them raise for about an hour.

Two tea rings should fit on one tin foil sheet. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees until lightly browned. When the tea rings come out of the oven, immediately place a paper plate on top of one of them, turn the ring upside-down with the tin foil on top, plate on bottom. Peel off the tin foil and wait 10 seconds for the hot sugar to cool a little, then place on parchment paper, plate, or platter. Whatever you are using to serve or present. I like using parchment paper and then when the tea ring is finished, I put them in a shirt sized box for easier delivery.

Make a cream cheese frosting with butter, cream cheese, vanilla and a lot of powdered sugar. Use milk to think a bit. You can frost them however you like, but I like spreading on a layer of frosting while it's still warm so it melts a bit. If they cool, you can drizzle frosting on top of them (like the picture above). After the frosting is dried and cooled, you can decorate with green leaves and halves of marching cherries.