Swedish Tea Ring

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand until creamy, about 15 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, blend butter and sugar. Add the yeast mixture, milk, salt, eggs, and 2 cups of the flour. Stir until smooth and well combined. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny, about 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 12x24 inches. Spread 2 Tbs softened butter lightly over dough. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar, pecans and raisins; spread this mixture evenly across the dough. Roll the dough into a long roll and press the seam closed. With the seam turned downward, seal the two ends together to make a ring. Use a little water to help you seal the ends.

Place the ring on a lightly greased cookie pan. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, make cuts every inch or so along the ring, cutting only three quarters of the way through. Twist each piece slightly so that the rolls fan out from the center of the ring. Cover the roll with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 °F.

Bake the tea ring at 375 °F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Remove the ring from the oven, place on a rack to cool.

Cool for 20 minutes and frost top of ring.