This is one of my favorite things that my mom used to make when I was a child.  She made this only on holidays and special occasions.  Mom made four tea rings once: one for a church social, one for a friend’s birthday, one for a contest, and one for us.  We were living at the Corner Farm at the time and the kitchen table was right under the air vent to my baby sister’s room.  My baby sister was upstairs in her bedroom washing baby doll clothes when the water splashed on the floor, down the vent, and onto one of the tea rings on the table.  Needless to say, we were all upset because we didn’t get to eat any tea ring that day. . .  This is my mom’s recipe:

  1 pkg Dry Yeast             1 Cup Milk                  I egg                ¼ Cup Lard    

  ¼ cup sugar                   3 Cup Flour               1 jar Maraschino Cherries

  Dash Salt             1 Can Almond Paste or 1 Tube       Walnut or Pecan pieces       

Glaze:   

           3 Cup Powdered Sugar    3 Tbsp Milk or more    2 Tbsp Melted Butter                                   

            Warm quarter cup of milk to dissolve the yeast in, add yeast, stir and let set.  Beat one egg in a large bowl, add ¼ cup melted lard, ¼ cup white sugar, and blend well.  Add dash of salt, stir again, add yeast mixture, add flour ½ cup at a time, just enough flour to form soft ball – not sticky, place on lightly floured counter or bread board.  If the dough is a bit sticky, work in just enough flour to make it not sticky.  Let rest while you clean out bowl.  Using your fingers, rub the bowl with lard and place dough back in the bowl. Place lard in your fingers and rub over sides and top of dough.  Lay damp cloth over top of bowl.                

      When dough has doubled, punch it down.  Use a large pizza pan for just the tea ring, or a regular pizza pan and a muffin tin.  Note:  can make one regular tea ring and one pan of clover leaf rolls.  Lightly flour the counter and rolling pin.  Roll dough into a rectangular shape.   Spread a bit of melted butter by hand over the dough. Warm the almond paste in a bowl of hot water – just until warm, squeeze the paste on the dough, and spread.  Sprinkle finely chopped pecans or walnuts on top of the almond paste.  Finely chop 10 well-drained maraschino cherries, sprinkle on top of the nuts, roll up the dough as you would a cinnamon roll, and shape into a ring on a greased pizza pan.                                                                                                                                                   With a clean pair of kitchen shears – make cuts on the outer part of the dough ¾ way through and twist it over, cut about every 1 ½ inches.  Cover with damp towel and let rise until double.  Bake at 350 deg F until golden brown.  It is done when it sounds a bit hollow when thumped.                                                             Make the glaze.  The glaze may need more milk, just enough consistency to drizzle over the tea ring.  Drizzle glaze over the tea ring when it has cooled.  Garnish it with chopped pecans or walnuts and whole drained maraschino cherries.  ENJOY!

            Footnotes:  This recipe does not do well doubled!      Use red and green cherries for a  Christmas Tea Ring. This is also a good recipe for bread, buns, and clover leaf rolls.

According to mom, my baby sister won a gift certificate – FIRST PRIZE for this recipe in the “Make It With Pork” contest in the mid 70’s because the recipe uses lard. . .

Palestrya   05/01/11