Raspberry Swirl Bread

I stumbled across this recipe for raspberry rolls with cream cheese icing a while back, and I started thinking about how I could make some raspberry rolls.  I had some frozen raspberries, so I figured I'd make my own  raspberry filling recipe and use my regular cinnamon roll dough.  That ought to work, right? 

Except that I didn't know how much 1/2 a tube of raspberry filling was (as called for in the roll recipe), and I didn't know how impossible it would be to roll the dough and cut it into rolls when I used all my filling.  So, I improvised and made Raspberry Swirl Bread instead of raspberry rolls.

Raspberry Swirl Bread

For Basic Sweet Dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 to 4-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 package active dry yeast (2-1/4 tsp.)
  

Put all ingredients into breadmaker and use the dough setting. When dough is ready, prepare as directed below.

Or, if you don't have a breadmaker or simply enjoy the feel of working with the dough: In a large mixing bowl combine 1-1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside. In a saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter or margarine, and salt till mixture is warm (120° to 130°) and butter or margarine is almost melted. Add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.  Let rise once.

While dough rises, prepare filling.

Raspberry Filling

• 1 16 ounce package frozen raspberries (not packed in syrup) 
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 T lemon juice 
• 4 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup of water

In a saucepan combine the raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice.
Bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the raspberries have broken down.
Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/3 cup of water and mix into the raspberry mixture.
Bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and cool completely, stirring every once in a while.

1. Once dough has risen, punch it down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into a 12x8-inch rectangle.  Spread half of the filling on each rectangle.  Starting from one of the long sides, roll up very carefully and pinch edges to seal.  Using a large spatula to help support the dough, lift rolled dough into greased 13x9 baking dish.
2. Cover and let rise in a warm place till nearly double (about 30 minutes).  Cut several diagonal slashes in each loaf.
3. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or till golden brown.
4. Allow to cool slightly and drizzle with icing.

FOR ICING: Melt 1 T butter in small mixing bowl; stir in 1/4 tsp. vanilla, 1 cup powdered sugar, and enough milk to make a smooth icing of drizzling consistency (3-4 tsp).  Drizzle over bread. Serve warm or cool.

The first time I made this, I didn't bake it long enough.  I was meaning to bake rolls, so I followed my cinnamon roll recipe and baked it 25 minutes like that recipe said.  The bread was nicely browned.  It looked good and smelled good, but the next morning when I cut into it, I found that it was all doughy inside..  I ended up slicing it and baking it again - so it got all toasty.  It was good, but not exactly right.  It didn't go to waste, but I had to try it again.  Covering it with foil for the first 30-35 minutes of baking keeps it from getting too brown while it bakes.   This time it turned out beautifully.  Such a great combination of sweet dough, raspberries, and gooey icing.  Really yummy.

Even Weasley had to check it out!

Next time I'm thinking about trying to lay one rectangle of dough on the bottom of the baking dish then spreading the filling on top, adding some pieces of cream cheese, and then topping with the other rectangle of dough.  And cut slits in the top before baking.