Mummy Loaf!

Yes, yes I got my wish from the last post -- snow in Georgia. And yes, I was snowed in. And double-yes: my internet was touchy the whole week and I'm still catching up at work.

But no, I couldn't make a snowman. By the time it was deep enough at my house it was already a melty-re-freezy mess. More like dried "Great Stuff" than snow.

So, without reliable internet, a serious inability to create my own "Snowhouse of Horrors," and no way to drive anyplace for a week, a girl does a little crochet and bakes many things with her new bread maker.

Now, I refuse to say that Mummy-Loaf (danish braid with blueberries and cream cheese filling) was a bad idea. HE WASN'T. Look at how cute his sweet little mug is - especially before baking!?!

I would, however, qualify that I'd do things differently next time. For starters, I would have actually thought about what I was doing before applying the Egg Wash. My CuisinArt recipe called for a whole egg + water combination, and I should have known that was for making it even more toasty-amber colored.

I want a paler mummy next time: egg white only, maybe? At least I'm going to finish off with a light dusting of powder sugar or a vanilla glaze/drizzle.

Also: one eye melted into his head, which ruined the 'mummy' effect after baking. Next time I'll save two berries and place them in as it comes out of the oven.

Still, it was a pretty successful ordeal. I followed this bread recipe with my bread maker (lessened all ingredients to make only a 1 lb loaf), then made a cream cheese filling by beating the following together:

• 4 oz cream cheese
• half an egg, beaten
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla

To make a bread braid:

• Roll out the dough in a rectangle, about 12x8"
• Spread the cream cheese down the middle third (lengthwise)
• Top cheese with blueberries (leave a little space for the 'eyes')
• Cut the side thirds at 1" intervals to make strips
• Start by folding the bottom strips into eachother, then criss-cross fold the other strips all the way up -- this should mostly cover the blueberry/cheese filling, but there may be a few gaps here and there. At the next-to last strips, stretch them a little further down to leave a cream cheese opening where the eyes should be.
• Tuck the last (top) strips in to look like a head wrapping
• Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F until toasted and filling is set (mine took 30 minutes -- again, smaller loaf)
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool, dot the open area with two berries for eyes
• NOM NOM NOM (once cooled)

Serve your mummy plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or with a drizzly vanilla glaze. He is delicious with coffee and should be shared with friends.