This past weekend I traveled back home to Lewistown, MO to see my dad, Jerry. Before I headed back I made a triple batch of mom’s rice pudding. Dad saw all that pudding and said I don’t need that much rice pudding! Indeed, I made a great deal of pudding. As I tell my family I can eat rice pudding for breakfast, lunch, dinner and any time in-between because it’s one of my favorite things, period! (It’s a good thing too, because I did make a huge amount.)
Today I transition into another infamous recipe of my mother’s, Jam Dandy Coffeecake. About a month ago I made a single batch, for my dad and didn’t bake it long enough. My excuse, which I am sticking with was: “I wasn’t baking in ‘my’ oven.” I also think I may have gotten a little over aggressive with the strawberry jam!!!! Nevertheless this is a coffeecake that mom made anytime we came home to visit. I don’t know where she got the recipe, but I know that I haven’t met a person yet who doesn’t enjoy the breakfast cake.
The batter is extremely simple, and if you were in a hurry you could make the main batter the night before, covering with saran, and refrigerate. In the morning drop the spoonful’s of jam, sprinkle the brown sugar and nuts and bake!
Some of the creative spirits out there will also find various other ways to use the main batter for the cake. I’ve twisted it around for other coffeecake recipes myself.
If mom was doing a full breakfast with the coffeecake it was usually scrambled eggs, bacon and the coffeecake. Sometimes we just ate the coffeecake with juice and coffee. The grandkids always loved it because their cake would be made with grape jelly. I’ve been thinking of making one with fig jam myself. Like the rice pudding, I’ve seen family members eat this coffeecake at any time of day. Of course, that’s hardly possible due to the fact there’s seldom any leftover!
Presently I haven’t had any time to start going through my mother’s cookbooks. Most of her favorite recipes I too have been using for years. Like myself she also had things that she made for my dad that she didn’t have recipes for, like her creamy shrimp linguini. I’m afraid to prepare it for dad, because I never ate it myself. It was a dish she just created and never wrote it down.
I hope you give this coffeecake a try, it’s definitely a family favorite. One suggestion might be to eliminate the nuts if making this for the younger generation. Have an outstanding week.
Simply yours, The Covered Dish. www.thecovereddish.com
Jam Dandy Coffeecake
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup shortening (I use butter)
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
Topping
2/3 cup jam or jelly
1/4 cup brown sugar, (I’m a little heavy handed here.)
1/4 cup chopped pecans or English walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish. Beat the first 6 ingredients, for the cake body together, by hand. Pour into the greased baking dish, using a spatula. Dot the top of the batter with your favorite jam or jelly. There is no need to push the jelly down, the cake body will come up around it. Sprinkle the brown sugar and nuts over the top. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Be careful not to burn yourself on the hot jam when it first comes from the oven.
