Oatmeal Cherry Braid

Ingredients

 * 1/2 cup oatmeal
 * 1 cup hot water
 * 1/2 tsp salt
 * 1 1/2 tbsp butter
 * 1 pack yeast
 * 1/4 cup water
 * 1 1/2 tsp sugar
 * 1/3 cup brown sugar
 * 2 1/2 cup flour
 * 1/2 homemade cherry pie filling
 * 1 tsp fresh lemon peel
 * 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
 * 2 tsp milk
 * 1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions
Stir oatmeal into hot water. Add salt and butter; cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water, stir in 1 ½ teaspoons sugar until dissolved. When yeast mixture starts to bubble, add to oatmeal mixture. Stir in brown sugar and enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead until smooth and satiny. Cover and let rise until double. Punch down dough, divide in half. Roll one portion into a rectangle. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Spread CHERRY PIE FILLING (using only ½ of entire recipe for both braids) down center of dough. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon lemon peel. Cut 1-inch strips on each side of filling to within ½ inch of filling. Starting with top right strip, overlap dough over filling, working right to left, pinching lightly to seal. Let rise until almost doubled. Bake at 350 °F. 20 to 25 minutes. While braid is still warm, frost with glaze of confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla. Repeat with remaining dough.