By Kathleen Guthrie Woods
I’m reading a story in the current edition of the Penzeys catalogue (learn more about the company and their spices here) about passing family heritage and traditions to new generations through cooking and baking together. Ethnic flavors, techniques, recipes, and stories get shared from grandmother to mother to daughter, and I’m again reminded of how much I miss being part of this cycle of love as I—as in holiday seasons past—am the lone cook at the counter.
Friends have suggested that I can mentor a niece or nephew, but robbing my sister or sisters-in-law of that privilege is unimaginable to me. So I cook for myself and my husband, I bake for parties and gifts, and I share recipes with friends. I try to not dwell on what I’m missing out on as I mimic my mother’s safe technique for chopping nuts and hear my grandmother’s voice in my heart as I carefully fold those nuts into hot fudge.
Although I don’t have a daughter to share with, I have you! So I am breaking tradition (but not breaking any family laws) and sharing with you the one recipe that says “Christmas” to me. As far back as I can remember, Gram’s Coffee Cake has been served on Christmas morning, alongside an egg-and-sausage casserole (a once-a-year “treat” for the arteries) and half-domes of grapefruit.
I don’t know the origins, I don’t own the copyright (and family members have published it in fund-raising cookbooks in the past), but I do know that Gram made adjustments over the years. If you share it with your family and friends, I ask that you give credit to my grandmother by retaining the title.
Gram Guthrie’s Coffee Cake
- ½ cup shortening (plus extra for greasing the baking pan)
- 1 tsp. vanilla (speaking of Penzey’s, they have an amazing selection of vanillas)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
Filling:
- 9 Tbsp. butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add some of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, blending after each addition.
- Prepare the filling in a separate bowl. Cream softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon well. Stir in nuts. Set aside.
- Grease a 10-inch tube pan and line bottom with waxed paper. Turn half of batter into the pan. Dot the batter with half of the filling. Cover with the remaining batter and then dot with remaining filling.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Serve warm or at room temp. The cake can be prepared beforehand and reheated for serving.
I’d love to hear about the one family recipe that says “holidays” to you. And if you’d like, share the actual recipe with all of us in the comments.
Happy baking…and happy holidays!
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Thank you so much for sharing!! I totally understand how you feel. I have given away a few things that I had planned to give my daughters, Girl Scout mess kits, a few pieces of costume jewelry. I gave them to the daughters of a friend, as I knew she would “value” the gifts, and I knew that my one niece definitely would not:(
I have thought about this too. I lost my mother 2 years ago and have her jewelry. I gave my wedding dress to Goodwill last year. The other day I thought about burning all my journals as there would not be anyone who would be interested to know about my life in the past. Yuck, this is depressing. Merry Christmas…..
Brigid… I completely understand about wanting to burn the journals, as i just attended a funeral last night and wondered “who will stand at the casket for me?” when i’m gone. it’s sad. i understand. but please think twice about burning your journals – i am trying to accept a life without children (in the very bad part of grieving) and i now treasure some of my aunt’s (who didn’t have children) belongings. how i wish she was here so i could talk to her about childlessness! we never discussed it when she was alive bc i assumed i would be a parent (little did i know!!), but now i feel a strong connection to her even though she is gone. your journals might be able to help a niece or nephew or friend… you never know. (and believe me, i get the “i don’t want to help anyone else bc i’m grieving…). but think about it! xoxo – kristine
Love this post – thank you! That is part of the reason I have my little food blog, so I can share special recipes! My Husband’s Grandma (or Grams as we call her) LOVES cinnamon coffee cake, might have to make this and have coffee with her!
Thank You! I love this community!!! Will post later tonight when I get home from work!
Very sweet. I am going to back your cake this year in honor of you!
Thank you for sharing the recipe! I will make it too. I grew up in Ireland and always thought of sharing traditional recipes, etc with my daughter. Maybe I can enlist friend’s daughters when they’re older.
So excited to try this recipe!! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! I’m going to try to convert it to gluten-free, and looking forward to it. 🙂
Cooking is not one of my joys, sadly. However, i enjoy doing it with other people. I have a lot of limitations, so i do need household help. I have two young girls (one is 13, the other 21) who help me cook and clean the kitchen. I am so blessed with this! Usually it is just one or the other for an hour or so, but yesterday the three of us got together to make pies and cookies for Christmas. It was so fun. Of course, it ends up being expensive, too, but i don’t do this often.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I can’t wait to try it. Baking snickerdoodles at the holidays always makes me think of my grandma, she made the best cookies and I wish I had her recipes.