Great Holiday Read and a Cake Recipe

The characters will walk right off the pages and into your heart because they are real live people. This is a treasury of family stories, told with easy Southern charm and warm humor.A great read for the holiday season.

Any Holiday Celebration
Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans, chopped

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar

• 1/4 cup butter, melted

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• CAKE:

• 7 green maraschino cherries, finely chopped

• 7 red maraschino cherries, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup shortening

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; mix well. Set aside.
   
2.  Drain cherries on paper towels. In a bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fold in cherries.
   
3. Pour half of the batter into a greased 9-in. springform pan; sprinkle with half of the pecan mixture. Top with remaining batter and pecan mixture. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove sides of pan just before serving. Yield: 12 servings.