Almond Tea Ring

.
This is a very freeform sort of recipe really. You can put anything you like into the middle, and you can shape it any way you like. I first got the idea for this from the very old Betty Crocker Cookbook, but I don't follow that recipe. It most certainly is a Swedish pastry.

1/2 batch of sweet dough
soft butter, about 1/2 stick
1 can of almond filling (maybe called Solo or something)

or

homemade almond filling:
2/3 cup ground almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
Mix the almonds and sugar in the food processor, then mix in the egg.


Roll out the dough to a big rectangle, maybe 24 by 18
Spread on the butter and then the almond filling.
Roll up along the long edge.
Get a baking sheet and put a piece of baking parchment on it.
Place the roll of dough on the paper in a circle.
Cover lightly with a piece of plastic wrap and then a tea towel.
Leave overnight to rise. Or if for some reason you want it soon, let rise for at least 2 hours.
You can brush on an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbl water), and you can sprinkle on coarse sugar.
Make some cuts in the right just before baking, I think Betty Crocker used scissors. I just slice gashes.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Check on it because everyones oven is different.

Note: if you make your own almond spread it can be fabulous.  I use the canned filling because my children like it.  I personally have no big attachment to it.  I once made my own filling and I thought it was awesome.

Second note: use the other half of the sweet dough and make bolotchki or cinnamon rolls.  I only make the tea ring for special occasions, and for that the more the merrier.