1/2/13  Recipe  Pinch-off

Some of y'all may know this concept as pull-a-part or monkey bread, but via my maternal great grandmother, Margaret Bleilinger, it has always been Pinch-off.  In my childhood this was traditional for easter breakfast (baked the night before and then warmed up) and my parents used raisins and candied citron and cherries they stored for months from fruitcake baking and then used walnuts for rolling the dough(which was the way my great grandmother made it).  I made the switch to using dried fruit and other nuts(cranberries and pecans; apricots and almonds; apples, apricots, and raisins with walnuts).  I roll the balls in the butter/sugar/nuts and then let it sit overnite and then bake on easter (and now christmas) morning.

Pinch-off

2 packages of yeast
1/4 C warm water
1 C milk
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C butter
5 C flour
2 eggs
1 t cinnamon
1 lb dried fruit

Dissolve yeast in water. Scald milk and add salt, sugar and butter until dissolved. Cool.  Add half of flour then yeast, eggs, and cinnamon.  Mix well.  Stir in fruit and rest of flour.  Knead and/or use dough hook until well mixed.  Let raise two times.

Roll into ping pong ball sized pieces of dough and roll in mixture of:

1/2 C butter
1C chopped nuts
Sugar to taste (I like about 3/4 C)

Place in pan (flat 9x13 will give you a nice crust--Smaller pans will let you stack giving a gooey center that I adore, but some abhor) with balls touching.  Let raise (overnight is fine).
Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until done.  Best when warm.