Lately, our dessert situation has been rather deplorable. This usually only bothers me in the early afternoon when I’m sinking onto the sofa for my computer-n-coffee time and realize I have nothing sweet to go with my coffee. Sometimes, I’ll grab a handful of chocolate-covered almonds, but many times I’ll just quietly lament my dessert-y demise and carry on, sweetless.

Not that we haven’t been completely without desserts, mind you. There was the rhubarb-strawberry-red raspberry crunch with homemade vanilla ice cream that was yummy and of which there are leftovers, but for afternoon snack? Nah. It’s just not calling my name. Also, my younger daughter made a chocolate cake and then spent two hours decorating it. We ate the whole thing lickety split, but it didn’t rock my world or, more importantly, inspire me to bake another one. And then there is the chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer that I can’t bring myself to bother thawing and baking. Such problems.

What I do remember fondly and think on with disturbing frequency is the coffee cake I made last week. I served it at a meeting the same day I baked it, and at that point I wasn’t terribly impressed. It seemed plain and rather dry. Maybe even too crumbly.

However, by the following morning the mild flavors had deepened, the crumb topping had softened ever so slightly, and the cake itself had developed a pleasant density and richness that it had before lacked. It was delightful. Which means: this is the ideal make-ahead coffee cake! And furthermore, for several days running, I had the perfect treat to go with my afternoon coffee.

Perhaps it’s time to bake another one…


Coffee Crumb Cake 
Adapted from David Lebovitz’s blog.

for the topping:
1½ cups flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, melted
1½ teaspoons vanilla

Stir together and set aside.

for the cake:
½ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup sour cream (or full-fat plain yogurt)
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and egg yolk, vanilla, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Take care not to over mix.

Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch square pan. (I used a 7×11 pan.) Sprinkle the crumbs over the batter, gently pressing them down with the palm of your hand. Bake the cake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Be careful not to overbake as that will result in a dry cake.

This same time, years previous: the quotidian (4.28.14), learning to play, the quotidian (4.29.13), a Monday list, mousy mayhem, better brownies, the quotidian (4.30.12), baked beans, together, shredded wheat bread, and rhubarb jam.      

This same time, years previous: the newest addition, mango banana helados, beware the bedsheets, drama trauma, roasted carrot and red lentil soup, Monday rambles, and creamed asparagus on toast.

My younger daughter is beginning to read.

Technically, she’s been able to read for a couple years now, but I don’t count a child as “reading” until they’re zipping through chapter books for fun. And actually, by my standards, my daughter is not quite there just yet. But she’s getting close!

I recently noticed that, for the first time ever, she was actually reading the picture books we lugged home from the library. And then, for her daily reading, I assigned her the book The One and Only Ivan and she sank into the story.

As luck would have it, Ivan was a perfect starter book. It’s thick, so it feels important, but the line spacing is wide and the chapters are short. There are simple drawings to help the story along, and the writing is nuanced and compelling. Each day she’d read a chapter or two out loud to me before reading to herself for another 20 minutes or so. At one point, she put the book down and refused to read anymore because the story was too sad. I was thrilled that the story was affecting her so deeply—nothing screams reading comprehension success louder than falling into a funk because of a book—so I sat with her while she read the rough spots. Once over the hump, she sailed through to the end.

She enjoys the American Girl series, but they’re not quite fast-paced enough for her. Harry Potter is a little too taxing yet. Magic Tree House books (which I hate) are a huge hit. I can’t keep enough on hand. Right now we’re reading Flora and Ulysses out loud together—I read one page and she reads the next—but the vocabulary (obfuscation! malfeasance! surreptitious! etc) is above her level. In retrospect, it was not the best choice.

By conventional standards, my younger daughter is a fairly late reader, but because her elementary skills are due to a lack of interest rather than a lack of ability (her older sister’s situation was reversed), and because her desire to read is steadily increasing, I am completely at ease with letting her learn at her own level. Her process feels natural and organic. The only thing I’m struggling with is finding entertaining and well-written books that take into account both her (older) age and lower skill level. Ideas, anyone?

P.S. My younger son (age 9) is also starting to take off. He’s a couple steps behind my younger daughter, but he’s in love with the Magic Treehouse series (gah). His main problem is zero patience to sound anything out.

This same time, years previous: Sally Fallon’s pancakes, out and about, the quotidian (4.23.12), cauliflower potato soup, me and you, and the radishes, the perils of homemade chicken broth, and shoofly pie.