Coffee Cake!

I've been making this coffee cake on weekends for years now. Usually, I make 2 or 3 with varied fillings, because so many very large people show up to eat it all. This recipe is for just one cake:

COFFEE CAKE #1

Dough: 3/4 cup warm milk
3 tsp yeast
2-1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. butter

Mix all dough ingredients together in bread machine, or with mixer for about 10 minutes, or until smooth. Roll out into an oblong with a rolling pin, and lay into a greased pie plate.

Fillings: Choose: (1) Cinnamon Sugar: sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar on the portion of the dough in the bottom of the pie plate. sprinkle cinnamon on top of the sugar, then evenly pour 2 tbsp. melted butter over it. -or- (2) Apple filling (shown above): grate 1 apple per coffee cake into a microwavable bowl. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and microwave with 1 tbsp butter for 1 to 2 minutes. (I leave the skin on the apple, so it turns that pretty pink, and adds fiber to everyone's diet). Spread over the dough in the bottom of the pie plate. -or- (3) the easiest of all, I often use canned lemon meringue pie filling in the center of this cake. Much of my family and I love lemon meringue pie, but I'm not about to stand over a double boiler to make a coffee cake filling.

After the cake has been filled, fold the 2 ends into the center of the coffee cake, brush with egg white, and let it rise for about 20 to 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 22 to 25 minutes.

I found this recipe in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago. I've made it twice, and even with only 5 people home, it's gone in about 12 minutes.

CARAMEL NUT COFFEE CAKE

Warning: Do not preheat the oven! Really!

Batter: 1-3/4 cups flour
6 tsp yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup very warm water (about 120 degrees)
2 tbsp melted butter

Put all of these ingredients in a greased pie plate and stir with a fork until it forms a relatively stiff dough. Press into the bottom of the pie plate and set aside for a minute.

Caramel Nut Topping:
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
2 tbsp. melted butter

Mix all of these ingredients together (I use my 2 cup measuring cup) and pour over the cake dough. Sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup white granulated sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon.

Put the cake in a cold oven, turn it on to 350, and leave in for 25 minutes, including oven heating time. I love caramel, and I loved this cake. The recipe originally called for pecans, but I had only walnuts in the house, and it's splendid, anyway!

I expect to put a couple of each of these on the breakfast room table on Thanksgiving morning, for free range grazing (translation: stay away from my kitchen!). I'll have to get a slice first, because it will probably be gone when (if) I get to sit!