Lemon-cheese Babka

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: LEMON-CHEESE BABKA
Categories: Breads, Cakes, Holiday
Yield: 1 servings

------------------YIELD: 2 - 8 INCH CAKES------------------
1 ea Envelope active dry yeast
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 c Very warm water
3 1/2 ea To 4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 ts Salt
2 ts Grated lemon rind
2 ea Eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1/3 c Warm milk
6 tb Butter or margarine,
-softened
1/2 c Raisins
Powdered sugar

----------------------CHEESE FILLING----------------------
8 oz Pkg cream cheese
1/2 c Cottage cheese
1 ea Egg yolk
1/4 c Sugar
1 ts Grated lemon rind

-----------------------CRUMB TOPPING-----------------------
3 tb Flour
1/3 c Chopped nuts
3 tb Butter or margarine,
-softened
3 tb Sugar
1/4 ts Ground cinnamon

1. Sprinkle yeast and 1/2 tsp of the sugar over very
warm water in a 1 cup measure. Stir to dissolve
yeast. Let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes. 2.
Combine 2 cups of the flour, salt, lemon rind and the
remaining sugar in a large bowl; make a well in the
middle. Beat eggs and egg yolks in a small bowl just
to mix. Pour eggs, yeast mixture and warm milk into
well. Stir liquids into flour until smooth. Beat well.
3. Add softened butter gradually, beating well. Stir
in 1 more cup of the flour. Beat until dough leaves
the side of the bowl. 4. Knead on a lightly floured
surface; until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
5. Press dough into a buttered large bowl, turn to
bring buttered side up; cover. Let rise in a warm
place, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
6. While the dough is rising, make Cheese Filling:
Beat cream cheese and cottage cheese in a small bowl
with an electric mixer until smooth; beat in egg yolk
and sugar. Stir in lemon rind. 7. Make Crumb Topping:
Combine nuts, flour, butter, sugar and cinnamon in a
small bowl. Grease two 8 x 1 1/2 inch pans. 8. When
dough has doubled, punch down, knead in raisins;
divide dough into four equal parts; press two parts
into the bottoms and about 1/2 inch up the sides of
the prepared pans; spread each with about 1 cup of the
cheese filling.
9. Shape remaining dough into 2 8-inch circles; place
on top of cheese filling. Press the handle of a spoon
into dough around edges to seal. 10. Sprinkle half the
crumb topping over each. Let rise in a warm place
until dough reaches the top of the pans, about 1 hour.
11. Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 40
minutes; or until the cakes sound hollow when tapped.
Cool on a wire rack. (Place foil loosely over the
crumb topping; invert onto rack, then turn right side
up.) Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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