Tasha Tudor's Coffee Cake Recipe

This is a wonderful little breakfast cake, that my family and I enjoy. It is easy to make, and you can use any fruit you like in it. (canned fruit works as well, you just have to cut it into bite sized pieces.) This morning I am making it with left over peaches we had in our refrigerator. If you own a Kitchen Aide mixer, or the equivalent it does all of the hard work for you. This cake is super moist, and reminds of one that a friend had purchased for me, that had cost a pretty penny.

Fruit Coffee Cake
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In first bowl combine the following.
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of shortening
1/2 cup of milk (although I add a little extra, because the batter seems too thick other wise)
2 cups of unbleached organic flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
2 cups of fruit (not frozen) (use one and a half in batter, save a half a cup for the top)

mix well, and put in a oil sprayed small casserole dish. (9x9x2) or any small dish will work.

In second bowl make the topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unbleached organic flour
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) of real butter (softened)
and 1/2 cup of your fruit...however, this should be put on by hand not combined in your topping mix.

Mix everything (except fruit) with a fork, until blended to a crumb like constancy.
Top the coffee cake with this and your 1/2 cup of fruit. Bake 375 for 40 min or until done. I like to start checking it at 20 min.

That is it, in a short time you have a wonderful coffee cake to serve to friends and family, or even to give as a gift.