Sunday Brunch
04-Dec-2006
Yesterday EE, BR and R joined me for a nice little winter brunch. The only thing that went wrong was that the weather was too nice so the air here in Seattle is a bit stagnant which meant Burn Ban – no cozy fire in the fireplace for us.
I made them the guinea pigs for a couple of new items I had picked at my local Costco (they told me I need another blog dedicated specifically to items I discover there…). The first item we tried was a Lobster Bisque that is now being sold under the Kirkland brand. It was great! Rich and creamy and all you have to do is gently heat it to serve it. It’s a keeper.
The next new thing was a pate made by Trois Petits Cochons. It was a pork and chicken mousse with truffles and sherry. Also, very good! I have a feeling that this product may only be around during the holidays so if you are interested go look for it now.
The rest of the menu was tried and true recipes: a crab quiche, sautéed haricots verte, a winter salad and coffee cake. The coffee cake is actually a recipe that used to be served after mass at my church when I was in grade school. I loved it then and still love it now! The cake is moist with a great texture. The topping is just a mass of sugar and butter that forms a great cinnamon-y crust. It’s perfect with brunch or just as a mid-morning snack with a cup of tea or coffee.
Coffee Cake
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 2 cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
Mix all ingredients, then spread in a greased 9×13 pan.
Topping
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
Mix all ingredients until crumbly. Spread evenly over cake.
Bake at 325°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Culinary Fool 
Hi–
I thought your coffee cake recipe was great….
I doubled the amount of topping so I could layer it and put it in the middle. It smelled so great when it was baking in the oven. The whole family loved it. Thanks!
Hi Allie!
I’m glad you liked the recipe. And layering the topping as a filling is a great idea! I’ll need to try that out.