Healthy Simplicity: Breakfast Time

I think Coffee Cake was one of the first things I learned to bake. It is so easy. Three of my children can make it and do so on a regular basis. There are many, many variations but we generally just stay with our original recipe. We enjoy it that much. Sometimes one of the children will make it the night before. In the morning we can just pop it in the oven and have a fresh baked goodie and no mess for breakfast. Add some scrambled eggs and a nice cup of tea, and you have a nearly perfect breakfast.

Our recipe comes from Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book. This book came out in the '60's, I think. It was the cookbook my mom used when I was growing up. Shortly after I married my husband found a copy for me on eBay for $40. It looked like new. Let's just say it's seen a lot of use since then. ☺ So here's the recipe we use...

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soft butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Grease a square pan. Mix sugar, butter and egg thoroughly. Stir in milk. Mix dry ingredients; stir in. Spread batter in pan. Sprinkle with desired topping. Bake at 375º for 25 to 35 minutes (check with a toothpick). Serve warm. Makes 9 3" squares.

For a topping we scatter cut pieces of butter over the coffee cake and then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top of that. As the butter melts during baking it pulls the sugar and cinnamon down through the coffee cake, and you have these wonderful pockets of sugary, buttery, cinnamony goodness.

Ready to eat. Tea in my favourite mug. Cake warm out of the oven. Now if only the children wouldn't be silly while we eat so I can savor every bite. Oh well, I'm sure I will miss all the silliness and noise someday.