Grammy's Coffee Cake

I can remember on Saturday mornings, Grammy Burne’s house was the place to be.  If one timed it just right, one could walk in the back door when she was just pulling three absolutely scrumptious coffee cakes out of the oven.  And the house, boy did it smell incredible!  Gram usually cut one and let us eat a piece on Saturday, she’d save one for Sunday and gave away the third to a neighbor, friend or relative.  Sometimes we got to eat all three!

• 1 c milk
• 1 t salt
• 3 T sugar
• 3 T butter
• 1 dry yeast package
• ¼ c warm water (120 degrees or less)
• 3 ½ c flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 T mace
• 1 t Orange Peel
• ½ c butter

Scald the milk, salt, sugar and butter.  Cool to lukewarm.  Mix the yeast and water until yeast is dissolved and then add to the lukewarm mixture.  Be sure all liquid is 120 degrees or less or the yeast will die.  In a large bowl, mix flour, eggs, mace and orange peel.   Once combined, add milk mixture and knead until a dough forms.  Place the dough in a buttered bowl, flip to coat other side.  Cover with a towel and place in a draft-free location until double in bulk.  

Place risen dough on a floured board and knead a half cup of butter into dough, fold over and roll out.  Add enough flour so that dough doesn’t stick.   Divide dough into three pieces.  Roll out each piece into a rectangle and spread with one of the fillings below.  Twist and form into a circle shape, pressing ends together to seal the circle.   Set on a couple buttered baking sheets.   Cover with a towel and set in a warm, draft-free place for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for ten to fifteen minutes.  Ice Coffee cakes while warm.

Chocolate Almond Filling

• ½ c butter, melted
• 1 square baking chocolate
• 1 egg
• 1 c sugar
• 3 T flour
• 2 T almond extract

Cinnamon Filling

Omit almond extract from above filling and add cinnamon to taste

Icing

• ½ c butter
• confectionary sugar to preferred consistency
• 2 t milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

 Mix all ingredients together and ice coffee cakes while still warm.