Sunday Morning Coffee Cake, "Finger Lakes"-Style

Two days ago, I received my copy of Finger Lakes Feast in the mail.  It is a beautiful, hard-bound cookbook co-authored by Kate Harvey, the young wife of one of my sons' college friends (and my new blogging buddy).  Kate wrote the book with her dad, and her photographer brother provided all the pictures for it.

I haven't had time to really go through it yet, but it looks like a wonderful book.  It's so much more than just a cookbook full of recipes; it also has entertaining anecdotes and interesting information about the Finger Lakes region in Upstate NY, and it is sprinkled throughout with beautiful full-color photos--not just of the savory dishes included, but of the breathtaking part of the country for which it is named.  The book is a true feast for the eyes (as well as the palate).  It's so pretty that I'm afraid to have it out on the counter while I'm cooking.  I tend to be a pretty messy cook (I wouldn't dream of working in the kitchen without an apron!), and I really don't want this book to get splattered upon and stained.  So I think I'm going to photocopy the recipes before I set out to make them, and that way I can keep my copy of Finger Lakes Feast in pristine condition.

Yesterday I tried out a recipe on page 34 called "Sunday Morning Coffee Cake," after reading the irresistible description of a cake that was "light" and filled with "ribbons of sweetness."

Stop right there, I thought.  No need to go on.  You had me at "ribbons of sweetness."

The recipe for "Sunday Morning Coffee Cake" is simple and uses ingredients I always have on hand--and I have a feeling it's one I'm going to make a lot (as cinnamon coffee cake is a must-have item for our Sunday morning egg-and-bacon brunches).  It is supposed to serve 8; so since there are only 3 of us in the house right now (my baby just got back from college for his Christmas break, so the nest is no longer empty!), I decided to freeze it for next Sunday, when I'm going to have a full house.  Because I have a feeling that cake was going to serve just 3 today, with nothing left over.  It looked so scrumptious when I took it out of the oven that I fear we would have just cut it into thirds and inhaled it.

If you're interested in winning a free signed copy of Finger Lakes Feast, go as quickly as you can to this post on Kate Harvey's "Something Ivory" blog.  There's still time left to enter the contest by leaving a comment.  Kate will be announcing the lucky winner tomorrow.

Bon appetit!