Christmas Candy Cane Coffee Cake

I have memories as a child of my mother making special yeast bread that my dad would enjoy taking to special friends on Christmas eve. Hartie Cook thrived on the sociability and good cheer it brought. Mum usually stayed home with us. Later, as a young married home economics graduate, I took the process one step farther by turning coffee cakes into candy canes that were decorated with frosting, nuts and cherries. We liked to give them as gifts. One year before Christmas, we stopped on the back road in East Corinth where an old Russian woodcutter lived. He could barely speak any English, but the smile on his face said everything. I have never felt better giving away baked goods than I did that year. In the ensuing years, the coffee cake became a tradition as part of our Christmas breakfast. – Jeanne

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 3 cups flour, slightly rounded
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder

Plus

• 3 rounded cups flour
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable or canola)

Liquid ingredients

• 1/3 cup oil neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup milk and 1 cup warm water (not more than 110 degrees), in same measuring cup.
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Brown Sugar Mixture

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Icing Mixture (check out the “old time” measurements)

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• Dab of Almond or Lemon Extract – Mum prefers lemon (½ tsp)
• Bit of Vanilla (1 teaspoon)
• Dite of butter, melted (1 tablespoon)
• hot water

Decoration (per coffee cake)

• 6-8 glazed red cherries, halved or quartered
• 6-8 glazed green cherries, halved or quartered
• 1/4-1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Sift together dry ingredients into a large bowl, stir with a wire whisk then make a well in the middle.
2. Add the liquid ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients and mix well. Add an additional 1 cup flour, slightly rounded and mix until smooth, then add 2 more cups flour, slightly rounded and stir well. If the dough is still sticky add more flour a little bit at a time until no longer sticky.
3. Turn dough onto a floured surface (may use another cup of flour for this). Knead until the dough becomes smooth, elastic and will bounce back when lightly touched. Pat flour off dough and put in a well-oiled (bottom and sides) bowl. Cover and let rise until double in size.
4. Divide proofed dough into 4 sections. Roll out sections, one at a time, into rectangles with the top section rolled out wider than the bottom (approx. 1/2″ thick).
5. To a small bowl mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush melted butter over top of rolled-out dough and liberally sprinkle brown sugar mixture over that and spread evenly. Can make more brown sugar mixture if needed. Be careful not to add too much of the mixture or it will leak out and burn when baked.
6. Begin rolling each dough section from the bottom toward the top. As you are rolling, gently pull the rolled portion toward you to thin out the remaining dough. Don’t pull so hard to tear the dough. Once rolled, pinch the seam to seal well. This prevents the brown sugar mixture from leaking.
7. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place dough on pan with seam side down leaving enough room for two dough rolls per pan. Pinch ends shut and form into candy cane shape. With scissors, make some vents in the spine of the candy cane. “Snip” with the scissors at approximately a 30-degree angle, 1″ from the bottom end only cutting approximately 3/4″ deep. Continue snips all the way to the opposite end with 1″ spacing in between each snip.
8. Let the candy canes rise until double in size (uncovered in a warm spot). Before baking wipe off any brown sugar that may have leaked out.
9. Heat oven to 350°-375° and bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned. Let cool.

Decorating the Coffee Cake

1. To a medium microwave safe bowl, add confectioner’s sugar, extract, vanilla and melted butter. Stir together then add enough hot water until the icing is of pourable consistency. If the icing stiffens before all coffee cakes are iced, just pop it into the microwave for 20-30 seconds to loosen.
2. Once the coffee cakes have cooled, drizzle each one with icing, sprinkle with chopped walnuts and then place red and green cherries on coffee cake. The amount of icing used is a personal preference but use enough so the walnuts and cherries will stick.

Notes

• The dough is typically made with a “Ding Dong” spoon which is an heirloom in our family. Each one of us have one including Jeanne’s 4 grandchildren. If you aren’t fortunate enough to have a Ding Dong spoon, a strong wooden spoon works just as well.
• This dough has always been made by hand and not in a mixer. It’s an arm workout so be prepared!
• Can freeze the cakes after baking but before decorating. Ice and decorate after the cake has thawed.