Babka and Sugar Plums

Babka (Sweet bread with chocolate swirls)

INGREDIENTS:
Dough

• 1 tsp sugar (for yeast and milk)
  
• 1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
• 1/4 skim milk
• 1/2 cup fat free half and half
• 3 tbsp Splenda-sugar blend (for dough)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cup bread flour
• 5 tbsp soften butter

Filling

• 1/4 cup Splenda-sugar blend
• 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 oz of chocolate, finely chopped (I used peppermint chunks instead)

Streusel

• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp softened butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm milk and let stand for 5 minutes
2. In a large bowl, stir in yeast mixture, rest of sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and egg
3. Slowly add 1 1/3 cup of any flour while mixing and continue to mix to form a dough
4. Add butter to dough and continue to mix (dough is sticky!)
5. Place sticky dough on a floured surface and kneed for 10 minutes while adding the rest of the flour 1 tbsp at a time (again it's sticky and messy but adding the flour makes it gradually better)
6. Place dough in a covered greased bowl and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours
7. After dough has doubled in size, punch it down like a domestic violence victim and let rest for 5 minutes
8. While dough is resting, make the filling by combining and mixing all filling ingredients in a medium bowl
9. Roll the dough over a floured surface creating a 16x16 inch square
10. Sprinkle the filling over the dough evenly and roll that puppy up! (Don't worry if filling gets all over the place because the end result will basically be the same!)
11. Twist the dough as if you are wringing out a towel around 4 times (just make sure it doesn't lose shape)
12. Squeeze the dough into a 9x5 inch loaf pan by bending the dough to make it fit
13. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes until it doubles in size
14. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (you know you're almost done when you have to preheat!)
15. For the streusel, mix the powdered sugar, flour, and softened butter with a fork until it is crumbly
16. Sprinkle the streusel mix over the dough and bake for 40 minutes
17. Cool and enjoy!!

Sugarplum

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups unsalted almonds
• 1/4 cup honey
• orange zest (from one medium orange)
  
• 1 cup apricots
• 1 cup prunes
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  
• powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toast the almonds at 400 degrees for 10 minutes
2. In a medium bowl, mix honey, orange zest, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg
3. Chop almonds and fruit, then add to honey mixture
4. Mix everything together then roll into golf ball sized balls
5. Roll each ball in powdered sugar and enjoy!