Maple Crumb Cakes for a Wintery Breakfast

Cold weather  is at it’s best with something like Maple Crumb Cakes for a wintery breakfast!  The quiet early morning, the pink sky…and the fire crackling in the fireplace just make things feel comforting and warm…even though it was cold.

Marc is working part time at Home Depot.   I think it has been good for him in the long run- he enjoys it, and working part time has been easier on his knees.  This morning he had to be there at 6:00 so we were up early.  I am a morning person,  I actually like getting up.  Once the sun started coming up this is what I saw:

Could it be?  I opened the door…

This is a lot of snow for my area of Texas! The horses were in the lean to and I was glad we had locked the goats in last night.  I knew the kids would be playing in it-I had all ready promised them a *snow* day.  So I had some coffee and quiet time and made maple crumb cakes for breakfast because…well…because what is better on a cold day than hot chocolate and crumb cakes?

I did not have maple sugar, although this recipe would be better with it.  I used organic maple extract from Frontier.  If you have access to maple sugar, by all means use it rather than the sugar called for!

Maple Crumb Cakes 

2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c butter

1 egg

1/2 c half and half

1 tsp maple flavor

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter. Add the flavoring and the egg. Beat well.

Add the flour alternately with the half and half, and mix to a smooth batter.  Spoon into muffin cups lined with silicon cups, paper baking cups, or greased.   Top with topping and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Topping 

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c butter

1 tsp maple flavor

1/4 c flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c chopped pecans.

Mix dry ingredients, except pecans, together and cut in butter with fingers.  Add maple flavor and continue to cut in until all flavoring is absorbed and mixture is crumbly.  Add pecans.  Top each crumb cake before baking.

All content on this page (c)2008Marye Audet for Baking Delights, http://bakingdelights.com , and B5Media.