Twisted Berry Nut Bread (minus the berries, plus whatever you want)

To date, this is probably my favorite bread.  It is not a quick bake, but it is more than worth the effort.  I originally found this recipe in Family Circle a couple of years ago and have since played with it in a variety of ways...the most recent being a no dairy version that is not only fantastic but Fish Girl can eat it, too!

This bread is fantastic for breakfast, as a snack (with tea is my favorite, of course) or as a dessert (warm) with ice cream!

Here's the recipe as written plus my changes in italicized bold.  By the way, I tried to post a link to the original recipe but FC wanted me to sign up for all kinds of crap to access it, so this will have to do :-)

Ingredients:
Dough-
3/4 milk (or Almond Milk)
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter (or Earth Balance vegan "butter")
1/2 ts salt
1 packet active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
3 eggs
4 1/1 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour, or some combination of the two)

Filling-
3/4 seedless raspberry jam (or any jam or fruit filling you like...today I used frozen cherries & apricots we've had stashed from our CSA since last fall, chopped up into 1/4 inch-ish pieces)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or any nut you like...today I used sliced almonds)
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup warm honey

Process
Dough-
1-Heat milk, sugar, butter & salt in a sauce pan over medium heat until the butter melts.  Let cool 30 minutes
2-Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl, stir to dissolve
-Add milk mixture, 2 of the eggs & 1 1/4 cups of flour
-Beat for 3 minutes, then add 3 cups flour to form dough
3-Turn dough out onto floured surface & knead until smooth & elastic (3-5 minutes)
-Place dough in a large oiled bowl 7 turn the dough to coat
-Cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place for 1 hour
*while the dough is rising, you can prep your fruit and nuts
4-Punch dough down, place on floured surface, cover & let rest for 15 minutes
5-Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, oil or butter

Filling
6-Roll dough into a 14 inch square (or break up the dough into 3 pieces and roll them out separately)

  -Brush with jam (or brush with warm honey & sprinkle with chopped fruit)
  -Sprinkle with walnuts (or almonds or pecans)

7-Beginning with one edge, roll the dough up, jelly-roll style
-Pinch the seam closed
-Carefully transfer to your prepped baking sheet, seam-side down

-Reshape into a roll if it's lost its shape
-Cut roll in half lengthwise

-With the cut sides up, begin in the middle and work toward one end loosely crossing the strips over each other (keep cut sides up as much as possible)
-Pinch ends together and under to seal them

-Repeat with the second half of the loaf
-Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes

8-Heat oven to 350 degrees
-Lightly beat remaining egg and brush it over the top of the loaf
-Sprinkle with sugar
9-Bake for about 30 minutes (until lightly golden and it sounds hollow when knocked on)

If you break your dough into a few pieces, you can fill each loaf to suit the likes of whoever you might be baking for.  Today, Fish Girl only wanted honey and apricots, while Tool Lady honey, cherry & almonds and I wanted honey, apricots & almonds.  Everyone wins!

Happy eating!!!