| In a small saucepan bring the milk to a boil. |
| Pour it into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar, butter, mahlepi, and salt. |
| Let cool to lukewarm. |
| Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to lukewarm milk. |
| Beat 4 eggs and add to the milk mixture. |
| Gradually stir in flour with a wooden spoon until the batter becomes too thick to stir. |
| Coat your hands with flour and work in the rest of the flour by hands until a soft, elastic dough forms. |
| Cover with waxed paper and a thick towel and let stand in a warm place free of drafts for 2 to 3 hours or until the dough doubles in bulk. |
| Punch down dough and knead again. |
| Divide the dough into 12 balls about the size of oranges. |
| Roll each ball on a board into a rope 1.5"x 2" thick and 15"-20" long. |
| Braid three ropes together to make a "twist." Pinch ends and tuck under. |
| Place on greased baking sheets and let rise until twists are doubled in bulk. |
| Preheat oven to 350 degrees. |
| Brush the twists with the remaining egg (well-beaten) and bake until tops are a deep chestnut color, about 30 minutes. |
| Check after 15 minutes, and if the color is darkening too quickly, reduce heat to 275 degrees and continue to bake for 1/2 hour. |
| Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes and then invert on racks to finish cooling. |
| Store in covered containers or wrap and keep in the freezer. |