Gluten Free & God Seeking: Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free!)

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free!)

For 12 years I lived next door to a woman who had a wooden sign outside her front door that said, Martha Stewart doesn't live here! You wouldn't have known it for the baked goods that came rolling out of her oven and the way she decorated!

She owned a flower shop in downtown Seattle, and used her skill to turn her backyard into an English garden. On top of all that, she was the neighborhood craft queen! My children always enjoyed it when she would invite them over to play in her hot tub and have what called a guppy party.

She was one of my contact people at my children's school. On one occasion when I came home from work, I found the sick patient next door with a large slice of pizza in her hand watching a children's movie! Needless to say she loved my children, and they loved her.

One Saturday afternoon she invited all the girls and their mothers in our neighborhood for a tea party. On her beautiful tiered china serving dishes were exquisite sandwiches cut in triangles, muffins, cookies, and other mouth watering creations plus fruit and vegetable platters.

When she died of a brain tumor, it crushed our whole family. Before her death she gave my three girls some of her cookbooks. She also told me to go into her backyard and take any of the plants and herbs that I wanted. Most of the plants are still growing in my front and back yard. Her daisies and lemon balm come up each year reminding me of her.

And over the course of my friendship with her she gave me some of her special recipes. Today I am sharing her coffee cake recipe.

Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free)

1. Prepare dry ingredients - In a medium sized mixing bowl put:
(1) 2 cups gluten free flour - 2/3 cup each of brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and tapioca flour.
(2) Stir in leavening & salt: 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. of salt.

2. Cream butter & sugar - In a large mixing bowl put:
(1) 1 stick of softened butter and beat for a minute or two.
(2) Gradually add 1 cup of sugar (I put 3/4 cup) and beat for 3-5 minutes.
(3) Add 2 eggs ONE at a time, beating well after each.

3. Combine creamed mixture and flour:
Add a part of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with 1 cup sour cream/yogurt that has been mixed with 1 tsp. of vanilla, and beat well after each addition.

4. Stir in 1+ cup of blueberries. (You can add chopped apples or any other fruit of your choice.)

5. Prepare topping - In a small bowl mix together:
(1) 1/3 cup of brown sugar
(2) 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
(3) 1 cup of chopped walnuts
(4) Sprinkle topping over the top of the coffee cake.

6. Put the batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.