This post was set up to publish when I was traveling last week, but somehow it didn’t happen. But it is happening now, and I hope everyone enjoys the recipe and thoughts of a delicious breakfast!
My novel The Gate House takes place in a bed and breakfast in Lincolnshire, England. I have stayed in a few bed and breakfasts in the US, Ireland and the UK, and they all have one thing in common — wonderful food! In the UK it was the full English breakfast, complete with mushrooms, tomatoes and baked beans next to the eggs. In Ireland the breakfast was similar, but there was always wonderful brown bread to go with it. In the US it can be anything, but there is usually some sort of egg dish as the star of the meal. Breakfasts also often include something sweet — a pastry, coffee cake, or sweet roll.
Here is a recipe for my grandmother’s coffee that is simple and delicious. Make it and pretend you are staying at a bed and breakfast in England. Or have a slice in the afternoon with a cup of coffee or tea.
Grandma Kate’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake
2 c. sifted flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. salt
½ c. butter or margarine, 1 c. sugar, 2 eggs, 1 c. sour cream (yogurt works just as well),1tsp. vanilla
Topping: Combine 1/3 c. brown sugar, packed, ¼ c. sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 c. finely chopped nuts (optional)
Sift dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Pour ½ batter into pan, cover with ½ of topping, pour remaining batter over filling and top with rest of topping mixture.
Bake at 350˚ for 40 min. Use tube pan or oblong pan. If you use a tube pan, put a layer of topping in first because you will turn it upside down when you take it out.