Recipe - Lemon-Cheese Babka

YIELD: 2 8 INCH CAKES
1 Envelope active dry yeast
One fourth cup Sugar
One fourth cup Very warm water
3 One half To 4 cups all purpose flour
Three fourths teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Grated lemon rind
2 Eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1/3 cup Warm milk
6 tablespoon Butter or margarine,
softened
One half cup Raisins
Powdered sugar

CHEESE FILLING
8 ounce Pkg cream cheese
One half cup Cottage cheese
1 Egg yolk
One fourth cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Grated lemon rind

CRUMB TOPPING
3 tablespoon Flour
1/3 cup Chopped nuts
3 tablespoon Butter or margarine,
softened
3 tablespoon Sugar
One fourth teaspoon Ground cinnamon

1. Sprinkle yeast and One half 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
One half 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 One half 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 One half inch up the sides of the
prepared pans; spread each with about 1 cup of the cheese filling. 9. Shape
remaining dough into 2 8inch 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.