Oatmeal Cherry Braid

Ingredients

• ½ cup oatmeal
• 1 cup hot water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ tbsp butter
• 1 pack yeast
• ¼ cup water
• 1½ tsp sugar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2½ cup flour
• ½ homemade cherry pie filling
• 1 tsp fresh lemon peel
• ½ cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tsp milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Stir oatmeal into hot water.
2. Add salt and butter; cool to lukewarm.
3. Dissolve yeast in warm water, stir in 1 ½ teaspoons sugar until dissolved.
4. When yeast mixture starts to bubble, add to oatmeal mixture.
5. Stir in brown sugar and enough flour to make a stiff dough.
6. Knead until smooth and satiny.
7. Cover and let rise until double.
8. Punch down dough, divide in half.
9. Roll one portion into a rectangle.
10. Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
11. Spread cherry pie filling (using only ½ of entire recipe for both braids) down center of dough.
12. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon lemon peel.
13. Cut 1-inch strips on each side of filling to within ½ inch of filling.
14. Starting with top right strip, overlap dough over filling, working right to left, pinching lightly to seal.
15. Let rise until almost doubled.
16. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
17. While braid is still warm, frost with glaze of confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla.
18. Repeat with remaining dough.