Instructions: Dissolve yeast in warm water in 2 1/2-quart bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, butter, salt, egg and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased 2 1/2-quart bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.) Punch down dough.

Mix chopped walnuts, chopped cherries and sugar. Roll dough into oblong, 15 x 9". Spread with 2 tablespoons softened butter and walnut mixture. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side. Seal well by pinching edges of roll together to make a ring. Even up roll by stretching slightly.

Place roll, sealed edge down, on a baking sheet that has been lightly covered with cooking spray. Pinch edges together. With scissors, make cuts 2/3 of the way through the ring at 1" intervals. Turn each section on its side (face up). Let rise until double, about 30 to 40 minutes. (Or let rise in refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours, or until doubled in size.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

When ring has cooled somewhat, mix confectioners sugar and milk to spreading consistency. Add vanilla. Spread over ring and decorate with extra cherry halves.

This recipe is a conglomeration of recipes from various Betty Crocker Cookbooks and a Fleischmanns Yeast booklet.

NOTES : Im a recipe follower, usually. But I wanted to make a Swedish Tea Ring over the holidays that had cherries, or some Christmasy look, and couldnt find a recipe. So, I combined a few recipes and made the following. It was very good. I let it rise overnight, baked it in the morning and took it to work. Despite the cold winter weather, and the 26 mile drive to work, it was still warm. No one waited until break time, but gobbled it up right away.

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