Rolling Out the Welcome Wagon

This past month, I had the honor of hosting a slew of visitors. Family, friends, fiancés, all hailing from the east coast, getting their hippie fix for 2011. True to form, I showed each visitor my appreciation in the best (slash only?) way I know how. You guessed it. B-b-b-bakin'. 

First up: my best friend Jessica and her fiancé Ben, fresh off the plane from Raleigh, North Carolina. And for you I choose.....Sour Cream Coffee Cake. This is my mom's best friend's recipe, and I am not exaggerating when I say it changed my life. Well...maybe I'm exaggerating. But it's that good. What do you say we eat it while engaging in a riveting Mario Wii session? Yes? Perfect.

 

Sour Cream Coffee Cakefrom the kitchen of Kelly Watts

Ingredients:

1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped walnuts
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1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
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2 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla. Combine the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated, then add 1/3 of the sour cream and continue mixing. Alternate dry ingredients and sour cream until the batter is combined.

Pour half of the batter into a greased 8-inch x 12-inch greased and floured pan.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top.

Pour the rest of the batter into the pan. (You can also reserve half of the cinnamon sugar mixture from the first layer and sprinkle this top layer with cinnamon sugar. Either way, you win. Because this coffee cake is divine.)

Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick insterted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Once cool, cut the cake into small squares.

The next part is the trickiest. It requires great skill and discipline: Try not to eat it all in one sitting. Enjoy!

Here are a few photos from Jess and Ben's Pacific Northwest adventure:

Miss you both, already! Can't wait for the wedding! x