Pineapple-Cheese Braid

2 cakes or 2 dry pkgs. of yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
4 1/2 to 5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix together milk and salt. Add yeast mixture. Stir in shortening and eggs. Add about half of flour and beat well. Add enough remaining flour to handle easily. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover with damp cloth, but leave a small space for air to reach dough (you can also cover with Saran wrap, but be sure to allow some air to reach dough). Let rise in warm place (85 degrees) until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and let rise again until almost double, about 30 minutes. Roll into one rectangle 8x14 or two rectangles 6x10 each. Place on greased cookie sheet. Spread filling down center of dough, about 2 to 3 inches long. Take a strip on each side (opposite each other) and cross them at center of filling. Continue to braid opposite strips, tucking last ends underneath. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until double, about 30 minutes. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) -- 30 to 35 minutes or until done.



Pineapple-Cheese Filling

1/2 lb. cottage cheese sieved (or two 8 oz. pkgs. of cream cheese)
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg beaten
pineapple jam

Combine above ingredients and mix well. After spreading about 1/4 inch layer of pineapple jam, spoon cheese filling on top and proceed to braid.

"I find that the above filling is enough for almost two thirds of the dough, then I make a smaller braid with the remaining dough and fill it with some other kind of jam. Cream cheese filling is enough for 2 equal braids." -- Florence


-- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004


"Mom loved working with yeast dough. She and Dad also loved cheese. This was the perfect combination for them. Mom made this a lot, especially when she was cooking for the whole family in Orange, NJ, which also included Grandma and Grandpa Meredith." --Meredith Joy Sproul Friedman

-- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004