Sour Cream Coffeecake

This coffeecake is one of my favorites.  It freezes well, so it's nice to have one in the freezer for unexpected company. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 10" tube pan with removeable bottom or a 9" x 13" pan.  In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, cinnamon and brown sugar.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugar until well mixed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the flour mixture, the sour cream and the vanilla, being careful not to over-beat the mixture. 

Spoon half of the batter into the pan and sprinkle with half of the nut mixture.  Spoon the remaining batter into the pan and sprinkle with the rest of the nut mixture. 

Bake the cake 45 to 55 minutes or until it tests done (35 to 45 minutes if using a 9" x 13" pan).  Let cool 10 minutes on a rack and then remove to cool further.  Cut into wedges and serve warm. 

Serves 10 to 12

Pineapple Mandarin Cake

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups cake & pastry flour*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups milk
Lemon Butter Icing (below)
1 10 oz./284ml can mandarin oranges, drained
1 10 oz./284ml can crushed pineapple, drained

 

Method

Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir well to blend. Cream shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla together, beating until light and fluffy.  Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk, make 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, combining lightly after each. Spread batter evenly into 2 greased 8" (1.2L) round cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out on wire rack to cool completely.

*or subsitute 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Lemon Butter Icing

1/2 cup softened butter
4 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/3 cup light cream or evaporated milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Cream butter and half of the icing sugar until light.  Add cream, lemon juice and zest.  Beat in remaining icing sugar gradually.  Blend well.  

Assembly 

Put cake layers together filling with Lemon Butter Icing.  Cover top and sides of cake completely with icing.  Decorate top with ring of well-drained mandarin orange segments around outside.  Fill centre with well-drained crushed pineapple.  Decorate centre with a few additional orange segments if desired. 

Coconut Chews





These chewy rich bars have been a family favorite for more than thirty years.  You can try them with or without the icing or top them with a scoop of ice cream. 

 

Ingredients

 

3/4 cup shortening (half butter or margarine)

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Orange Lemon Icing (below)

 

Method

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cream shortening, butter and confectioners' sugar.  Blend in 1 1/2 cups flour.  Press mixture in bottom of ungreased 9" x 13" baking pan.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes.  Mix remaining ingredients; spread over hot baked layer.  Bake 20 minutes longer.  While warm, spread with Orange-Lemon Icing.  Cool; cut into bars, about 3" x 1". 

 

Orange-Lemon Icing

Mix 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted, 3 tablespoons orange juice and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth.

 

 

White Chocolate and Almond Caramel Bars

A chewy caramel bar filled with creamy white chocolate and crunchy almonds on an oatmeal crust.  They are delicious but rich.  Cut in small pieces.

 

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (225g package)
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup toffee bits
1 1/3 cups caramel sundae sauce
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Method

Combine first 4 dry ingredients in mixing bowl.  Add melted butter.  Mix well.  Reserve 1 cup of crumbly mixture.  Press remainder in greased 9" x 13" pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Combine chips, almonds and toffee bits.  Sprinkle evenly over base. 

Mix sundae sauce and 1/3 cup flour until smooth.  Pour evenly over base.  Sprinkle reserved oat mixture on top.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until golden.  Cool completely before cutting into bars.   Store in an airtight container.  They freeze well. 

Makes about 50 small bars.