From Our Kitchen - A Mystery and a Contest for You

    Before I share this recipe with you I need to tell you a story. Once upon a time ...

No, really. Those of you who have come to stay at our inn know that the kitchen is my playground. New recipes are always being tried and added to the inn's breakfast repertoire. You'll never know if what you're being served for breakfast is one of our latest kitchen experiments or something tried and true.

    One morning last Spring I served an interesting Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake for the first time, and it was an instant hit. The guests that day were "foodies" like me, and one commented, "Wouldn't this be interesting in a savory version as an appetizer? I wonder what it would be like and how to make it." We had a few laughs, but she and I did take her comment seriously. I decided to accept the challenge and set about the fun of creating the savory version.

     The original recipe follows for you to try and enjoy.  I'll share my savory version with you in the next newsletter with the challenge to name the new recipe. It's a mystery. It's no longer a coffee cake, as it will be savory, not sweet. I'll offer more clues and the details of the name the recipe contest, and there will be an overnight getaway prize for the contest winner.

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

(adapted from Pillsbury, Most Requested Recipes, Spring Get-Togethers, Vol 15, No 1- May 2007)

2 1/4 C. Unbleached Flour (Such as King Arthur)

3/4 C. Granulated Sugar

3/4 C. (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

3/4 C. Sour Cream

1 tsp. Almond Extract

1 large Egg

1 8oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 C. Granulated Sugar (again)

1 large Egg (again)

1/2 C. Raspberry Preserves or Jam

1/2 C. Sliced Almonds

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9" or 10" spring form pan with cooking spray, or grease and flour the bottom and sides of the pan.

In a large bowl mix together the flour and 3/4 cup of sugar. With a pastry blender cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of this crumb mixture.

To the remaining crumb mixture stir in the baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, almond extract and 1 egg. Add to the crumb mixture and stir just until all ingredients are blended. Spread this thick batter over the bottom and 2inches up the sides of the prepared pan.

In a small bowl mix the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 egg until blended. Pour this into the batter-lined pan. Carefully spoon the raspberry jam or preserves evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

In another small bowl mix together the reserved 1 cup of crumb mixture and the sliced almonds. Sprinkle this over the preserves.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until the cream cheese filling is set and the crust is a deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes on a rack. Then remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve warm or cool. Store in refrigerator.