Java and Coffee Cake ... Breakfast of Champions

First Coffee

Frost feathers
the windows of the diner.                                        

Cold clouds of exhaust
huff from the cars,
as they round the snowy common.

High, stark,
the steeple draws your eye
skyward.
Its bell sounds the early hour.

- Susan Miller-Lindquist

I write sometimes very early in the morning. I like it best when it's dark and I come awake to the words as the daylight begins to brighten. I like getting some work on my computer screen and then moving off for a cup of coffee. Then, I come back to the images that I've put there and  begin tweeking them. After a bit, I like grabbing a piece of toast or coffeecake and a second cuppa, while I mull an edit.

A while ago, I wrote this poem during one of my mornings... I'd been at a writer's craft seminar up North and the structure of the poem was a fun exercise. It is NOT autobiographical. Anyone who knows me knows that the chances of me being in a diner at five in the morning are pretty slim, but I can imagine, can't I?

Anyone for coffeecake? I have leftover cranberry sauce to use...

Deni's Cranberry Coffeecake - printer friendly

Deni's Cranberry Coffeecake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 stick of butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 c. sour cream or plain yogurt                                              

1 tsp. almond extract
½ can whole berry cranberry sauce, chopped up
½ c. pecans, chopped

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, whipping well between each.
3. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix by hand to make a thick batter.
5. Add the sour cream/yogurt and almond extract and stir well.
6. Grease a large loaf pan (9 inch by 5 inch).
7. Spread 1/3 batter in the bottom of the pan. Dot with cranberry sauce. Then repeat the layer of 1/3 batter, another dotting of cranberry sauce, sprinkle with half the pecans, and top with last 1/3 batter. Dot top with last of cranberry sauce and more pecans.
8. Bake about 45 to 55 minutes until a cake tester comes clean.
9. Remove from oven and cool for about 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and tip from pan to a serving platter.
10. Use a fork to drizzle the warm coffeecake with a simple glaze.

Simple Glaze

Whip together in a small bowl
¾ c. confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbsp. water
½ tsp. almond extract