Dough: Heat 1/2 cup milk and 8 tbs butter till melted; let cool till under 110 degrees, or it will kill yeast.

Mix together warm water, vanilla, yeast, sugar, egg, yolks, 1 tsp salt, milk/butter mix, flour, then kneed until only slightly sticky and passes window pane test (should clear sides of stand mixing bowl). Shape into a ball, then place into oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Should double in volume in about 2 hours.

Flatten dough into rectangle 1/4" thick, 16" wide, by 12 - 14" deep (you may need to flour work surface, but on granite I haven't needed to). Coat all but one long edge (1/2" deep) with melted butter. Mix together cinnamon, cardamom, salt and brown sugar then sprinkle evenly on buttered surface. Sprinkle on nuts, raisins, and craisins to taste. Roll dough starting with buttered long edge until you can pinch it closed against the unbudgeted edge, creating a "cinnamon roll swirl" log.

Cut off ends, to make a uniform log, then transfer log to sheet of parchment paper, seam down shaping into a circle. Pinch ends together, then gently squeeze and shift to create a uniformly thick circle. With scissors, cut 1/2 - 2/3 through log every 1 1/2 - 2", at a 45° angle, around the log, without cutting the joint where the edges meet. Press the cut ribs out away from the center of the circle. Cover and let rise until doubled again (approximately 2 more hours). I slide parchment with roll onto a cookie sheet, then insert into a large plastic bag, tie off the end, and inflate. This keeps it moist, without sticking to the dough.

Bake on middle rack at 325°, preferably with the parchment directly on ceramic stone that was preheated with the oven. After 10 minutes, tent with foil to prevent burning the top of the bread. Bake to 188° internal temp (approximately 35 minutes). Cool on wire rack.

Glaze: In small sauce pan, heat milk and butter until melted, stirring constantly, then stir in corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir until smooth, then quickly (before it sets) drizzle over COOL bread, in rays from the center outward. Cut cherries in half and place in the bread openings on top (see photo).