Cinnamon Pear Streusel Coffee Cake

I wanted to make something delicious for the hubby before school overtook my life again and this delicious little recipe seemed to fit the bill.  I got a couple of gorgeous bartlett pears from Fresh Market (love, love, love this place) and found that the pears were big enough that I could bake an extra coffee cake to send home with my mom and dad who visited last weekend.  The hubby loved it and my mom said it was "the best coffee cake ever."  Ours disappeared before I got a taste or a picture, so I'll have to take their word for it. :)

Cinnamon Pear Streusel Coffee Cake
Makes 1 8x8 cake


Cake:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups pears; cored, unpeeled, and chopped (For me this was one large bartlett pear)

Streusel Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut up
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter an 8x8 inch baking dish.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.  Gently fold in the pears.
5. Pour into the prepared pan.
6. Make the streusel by mixing the sugar, flour, and butter with your fingers until crumbs form.  Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the batter.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

DFTS Original Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Thumbprints

One of my fellow box office employees was checking out my blog and nicely hinted that they'd love some lemon squares.  Since we're eating on the go in the box office and lemon squares are best if kept refrigerated, I thought I'd attempt to make a cookie version of my strawberry lemonade bars.  The hubby says they're great - just enough strawberry and lemon flavor so it's not too tart or too sweet.

 Strawberry Lemonade Thumbprints
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 2 cups flour

Filling:

• 1 egg beaten
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons strawberry lemonade (I used the Trader Joe's version)
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine butter, confectioner's sugar, and flour.  Mix well. 
3. Roll into small balls.  Flatten and indent centers.
4. Place on greased cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool.
5. In saucepan combine filling ingredients. 
6. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring well until thickened (20-30 minutes).  Beware, this mixture burns easily.
7. When cool, spoon filling into indent of each cookie.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.