Recipe: Cinnamon Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake (8-inch square)

CINNAMON PECAN STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided use
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, 1 cup of the sugar and the baking powder. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and stir until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.

In another bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the surface of the batter. Using a table knife, cut gently down through the batter at intervals of about 2 inches to spread a little of the topping through the batter.

Bake until the coffee cake is well risen and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm directly from the pan.

Makes 8 to 12 servings
Source: Breakfasts and Brunches from the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library