Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

My new pan, two successful coffee cakes :)

Once again this winter, we are about to get another blanket of snow on the group that will be at least six to 12 inches in depth.  It is a little tiresome already as it is still only January.  February is always the harshest month for weather in my books.  Anyway, with the cold weather coming it always makes me want to make some comfort food.  I love coffee cake!  I have spent a lot of money on very fancy bundt pans only to have my cake stick to the pan and I usually end up having to make homemade custard and turn it into a trifle.  Yesterday while at Marshalls, I noticed one of the Calphalon bundt pans and decided to try one last time to see if I could make one that we would actually enjoy where we could cut decent slices out of it and to my surprise, I found it.  My kids love things with cinnamon so I decided to look up a recipe for a sour cream, cinnamon laced coffee cake.  I found a wonderful recipe from Ina Garten and made a beautiful one drizzled icing over the top and thought to myself, breakfast for the week, yipee!  Well, little did I know that there would be a little nibbler in the middle of the night helping herself to some scrumptious cake only to find half of it gone when I came down this morning.  I am happy that they are enjoying it so I decided to make another one today as it is almost completely gone.  It will be nice to have it in the morning with coffee, if it is still there, that is :). You can zip it up in a very short amount of time and there are many happy people in the house after they have enjoyed every morsel.    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sour-cream-coffee-cake-recipe/index.html

Put two layers of cinnamon crunch inside the cake this time

  
In the upcoming months I will need some help from friends so in my world that means a lot more cooking and baking.  I am so lucky that people enjoy what I make as I can barter my way for services if people are open to that, if not, I just pay cash.  I do have to admit there is something much more satisfying in bartering.  I was also able to trade doggie care for baked goods and my wonderful neighbor went above and beyond her care of my other dog and I will be baking for her until the day I die :).

I of course fantasize as to what it would be like if I had tons of people over here helping me with fixing up my home.  All those involved with the labor would be busy focusing on that and their wives/husbands, partners would be helping me in the kitchen preparing a feast.  There of course would be picnic tables the length of the garden covered with  Irish linen tablecloths, beautiful pottery jugs filled with ice water, Kerry-gold buttered Irish soda bread, homemade country soups,  and much more delicious feasts to feed the generous folks who helped me with the work needed to be done that I would not be physically be able to do.  

While I was home in Ireland in December, one morning as we were about to rush out the door, my mother mentions as if in passing that she really needed to have some bread for her in the house so in a matter of minutes she put together some spelt wholemeal scones together, I wish now that I had taken a picture of them as each one was perfect and the smell of them in the kitchen was intoxicating.  How fortunate to have grown up in a home where baking was just a part of our every day existence. It really showed me that you could provide for your family if you have the basic ingredients in the home. I made a few loaves of bread yesterday to give to friends as thank you gifts but the whole process takes hours rather than minutes so that is why I am choosing scones today for my family.

 

I enjoyed many treats while I was home some exquisite like the wedding cake my mother had made for my brother, the moisture on it could be felt in my fingers as I got to enjoy every morsel.  Filled with raisins, sultanas, cherries, mixed peel and tons of eggs and I am sure a whole lot of the Irish holy water (whiskey).  It was the nicest cake I have tasted to date that she has made.  

Well, if you are in my neighborhood and you cannot go to work in the morning because of the snow, throw on your snow shoes and stop by for a cup of coffee and a slice of coffee cake,  if my kids have not eaten it first.  The kettle will be on!