Better Homes & Gardens Coffee Cake

This was (is) one of my favorite things that Mom used to make.  Coffee cake always reminds me of that story of Dad refusing to eat coffee cake at his friend's house when he was a kid because he thought it was against the Word of Wisdom.  Hee!  I always double the topping, so I went ahead and wrote it that way.  Duh - always more nuts and butter.

Cake:

1/4 c. canola oil

1 beaten egg

1/2 c. milk

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 T. flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 T. butter, melted

1 c. chopped nuts (I like using walnuts because they're softer)

Combine oil, egg, and milk.  In a separate bowl sift dry ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a cup at a time, stirring well in between each addition.  Pour into a greased 9"x9" pan.

In a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave.  Add the rest of the topping ingredients and stir with a fork until the butter is completely mixed in.  Crumble over the cake batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.  Insert a toothpick in the middle and if it comes out clean, the cake is done and you can eat it!

Best Biscuits

I've been on a life-long search for the perfect homemade biscuit.  I can die now.  This is it.  There are so many things to love about these biscuits.  I always have all of the ingredients in my kitchen (no buttermilk required!).  They are equally delicious with sausage gravy or strawberries and whipped cream.  They are HUGE and buttery and delicious.  So much love.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. + 1 T. shortening (I use butter flavored.  You could also use actual butter, I suppose.)
1 cup milk
2 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Cut in the shortening until mixture becomes a course meal.  Gradually stir in milk. 

Turn onto a floured board.  (The less you knead the dough, the better.)  Roll out dough until it is 1 inch thick.  Cut biscuits using a glass dipped in flour.  Place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 13-15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.  Brush with melted butter immediately after you take them out of the oven.

Makes 6 large biscuits.  (I have been able to get 12 smaller biscuits from this same amount of dough.)