Friday Delight...

My favorite part of Thursday is making sweet treats for Superman to take to work for his team. One of the recipients referred to it as Friday Delight and so it stuck.


The weather is heating up and I really didn't feel like baking something decadent...if I could have, I'd have sent them all strawberry cups topped with whipped cream. That wasn't going to happen, so I settled for something a little easier to transport. The recipe I chose was sent to me by my dear friend back in So Cal, Cali Girl. She and I have been friends for years and I owe her a debt of gratitude that can never, ever be understated. On a beach trip many years ago, her then-eleven-year-old daughter saved my then-two-year-old daughter from drowning as she pursued her pacifier into the Pacific Ocean. No joke, no drama, just the plain truth...it really did happen, it was really almost a tragedy, and I've never forgotten the blessing I received that day, all because I invited an extraordinary child to join us at the beach that day.

Anyway, back to the recipe...Cali Girl sent me this recipe in April, but it must have gotten lost in the email never-land because it just showed up in my in-box yesterday as I was desperately trying to figure out what I'd be making for today. It was perfect fit for my mood, the weather, and what I had on hand. Go figure!


So, what did I make? I made Apple Coffee Cake. Turns out the recipe my friend send is a SparkPeople recipe (Did you hear that Melissa? You can have this one!)...light, easy, and good. While the name is coffee cake, it is not as rich as a coffee cake...it is almost like an easy tart. Definitely perfect with your morning coffee or afternoon tea. Not to sweet, but sweet enough to count as a treat. Let me know what you think.

Apple Coffee Cake
adapted from SparkPeople recipe from my friend CaliGirl!

Ingredients:
5 cups tart apples - peeled, cored, and chopped (I sliced mine using the corer, peeler, slicer...easy peasy-it worked out to being 4 apples.)
1 cup dark raisins (I used 1 1/2 cups because I omitted the nuts...ick.)
1/2 cup chopped pecans- chopped (Obviously, I didn't include these...)
1 cup sugar
1 egg beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil (the recipe called for olive oil, I couldn't picture it)
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (the recipe calls for all whole wheat flour - I wanted it lighter)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1) Mix apples, raisins, nuts, and sugar in large bowl. Let rest for 30 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan.

3) In small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside

4) Into apple mixture, stir in egg, oil, and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture, 1/3 of the mixture at a time, just until combined.

5) Place batter into pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. Let cool...Serve. Serves 20.

See, an easy, pretty good-for-you dessert. What more could you ask for?


Note:
(Debbie - this would be perfect for trip you asked me about!)