Strawberry Coffee Cake ala Avery Aames

I am so excited. I just turned in the final draft of the first Cookbook Nook Mystery.

BY HOOK OR 

BY COOKBOOK (July 2013)

It's not up on Amazon or anything. It won't be for a number of months. I won't see artwork. I won't read a blurb. You can't pre-order.

But I'm still excited. I fell in love with my new characters. 

The series is set in the fictional town of Crystal Cove, California, a darling seaside community. It stars Jenna Hart, an avid reader, admitted foodie, and new owner of a cookbook shop and cafe. She is totally different than Charlotte in my Cheese Shop Mystery series, and yet I know they would be friends because they have so much in common. They're both kind, energetic, proactive. Charlotte's family consists of her grandmother, her grandfather, her cousin and his daughters, and her extended family (i.e. her pals). Jenna's family consists of her father, her aunt, her sister and brother who both live in other cities in California, and yes, her "extended" family of pals, too.  The women differ a little bit. Charlotte is a tad older and while Charlotte is a great cook, Jenna hasn't had much success. She intends to learn now that she owns the cookbook store (thanks to her aunt). Prior to taking on this new venture, Jenna was an ad exec in San Francisco. She was a whiz at marketing and creating commercial campaigns.

What fun I had writing this book. Did I mention that already? I adored creating new characters, researching cookbooks, testing new recipes, and taking a drive up the coast of California to do "research." It's amazing how different the landscape of an area looks when you're looking at it for fun and when you're eyeing it for work...especially if you write murder mysteries. I noticed all sorts of abandoned buildings, locations that might be dangerous, and nefarious characters. Amazing!!!  But I also noticed the beauty because I want to make sure I capture the splendidness  of the coast of California. And I think...hope...I have.

Anyway, to celebrate yesterday, I made myself a coffee cake. Gluten-free. {Note: to make it "regular,"  change the flours to regular flour and eliminate the xanthan gum. Your vanilla and baking powder may be "regular" as well. :) } 

Strawberries YUMMMMM!!!!  are still in season and there's almost nothing I like more than a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack of coffee and coffee cake. The trick about making gluten-free coffee cakes is how to keep them light and fluffy and moist. This one is..and it's sweet!

So...on that note, what is your favorite sweet cookbook or sweet recipe that came from a specific cookbook? Yes, I'm going to be asking you these questions a lot. I have to start the next in the series, and I want your recommendations.  C'mon. You're my extended family. Help me out. 

Sweet dessert cookbook...??

GLUTEN-FREE CREAMY STRAWBERRY COFFEE CAKE

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour

1 teaspoon Xanthan gum

1 teaspoon GF baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup white sugar

¾ cup butter

½ cup mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup milk

1 egg plus 2 egg whites

1 teaspoon GF vanilla (or vanillin)

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

¼ cup white sugar

1 egg

Topping:

5-6 large strawberries sliced

½ cup strawberry or raspberry preserves

Directions:

In bowl, combine flour, Xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. [I used food processor to do this.] SET ASIDE 1 CUP  for “topping.”

To the remaining crumb mixture, add mascarpone, lemon juice, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat until blended. PRESS mixture into a greased 9-inch springform pan and up the sides 2 inches. [THIS LAST IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CREATE THE CRUST.]

In small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Spoon into prepared crust. Top with preserves and sliced strawberries. Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture.

Place in oven, bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes until crust brown. [My oven only needed 40 minutes.]  Cool 15 minutes. Turn a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Remove the sides of the springform pan.

Let cake cool 1 hour before slicing. Store in the refrigerator.

OKAY, READERS, I ADMIT I'M BAFFLED. I'VE TRIED TO ADD PHOTOS TO THIS POST THREE TIMES AND EVERY TIME, BLOGGER JUSTIFIES THE ENTIRE POST TO THE CENTER. ARGH!!! SO I'M ADDING THE PHOTOS HERE, STEP BY STEP AND HOPE THAT HELPS. SO SORRY.  [The truth is, it's a wonder the Internet works at all, isn't it? LOL]

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Say cheese!

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