Baked before your guests arrive, this coffee cake welcomes them with the wonderful aroma of cinnamon. Pecans are great, but walnuts or almonds make be substituted.
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan.
In a bowl, stir together the flour, 1 cup of the sugar and the baking powder. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and stir until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
In another bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the surface of the batter. Using a table knife, cut gently down through the batter at intervals of about 2 inches to spread a little of the topping through the batter.
Bake until the coffee cake is well risen and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm directly from the pan. Makes 8 to 12 servings.
"Breakfasts & Brunches" from the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library
Thursday, May 04, 2000
