Chris Fennimore, WQED’s favorite cook, has a recipe for coffeecake with a secret ingredient — eggnog. The nog includes eggs, milk, sweetening and fat. Fennimore’s original recipe was in brief baker-to-baker talk: Mix ingredients, raise, shape, bake and glaze. Here’s a detailed version of the recipe. Have a slice of the cake, and it will remind you of sipping the rich, delicious and high-cal holiday drink.
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EGGNOG COFFEECAKE
4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
2 cups any brand commercial eggnog
1 package instant yeast (1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon fine salt
Measure flour into a medium bowl. Set aside.
Pour the eggnog into a large bowl. Set the bowl over barely simmering water in a large pot; the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Allow the eggnog to warm to 100 degrees, testing with an instant read thermometer. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the warmed eggnog, and gently stir. Allow the yeast to soften and bubble for 5 minutes.
Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and the salt to the eggnog. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in the remaining flour and mix well with a spatula. Dough will be sticky. (If you prefer a stand mixer, beat the entire mixture for 5 minutes on medium speed.) Cover dough with a piece of greased waxed paper and set in a warm place to rise until it doubles in bulk.
Dump out dough onto a generously floured surface. Dust the top side with flour and flop the dough around until it is easier to handle.
Divide dough into 2 parts to make 2 9-inch pans of rolls or divide dough into 3 parts for 3 tea-rings to be baked in pie plates.
Roll each portion of dough into a rectangle, brush with soft butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll up, cut into about 9 pieces and set cut-side up in greased pans.
Let raise, bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes until brown and cooked through. When cool, drizzle with maple-flavored confectioner’s sugar glaze.
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