Pick A Fruit Coffee Cake Squares

I figured it was time to post something a little sweet.  With strawberries and rhubarb just coming into season this is a good recipe.  Of course I made this recipe a month or so ago and instead of fresh fruit I used some frozen local raspberries and blueberries we picked last summer.  While you can use one fruit, you can always mix and match fruits as long as you use the same total quantity.

I enjoy this recipe because not only can you use any fruit, but it is very easy to make.  It looks like a lot of ingredients, but that is just because I have separated them by layers so you don't confuse the individual amounts of sugar, flour, and coconut oil with the total amounts.

I've made the recipe many times over the last 27 years.  It is a recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook I purchased sometime back in 1988-89 that I have adapted to be vegan.

In the pictures I've used an Ener-G egg replacer.  You can always use a flax egg and it will work, I was just out of ground flax seed.

PICK A FRUIT COFFEE CAKE SQUARES

INGREDIENTS:
Filling:
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen Fruit
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Sugar (I used organic raw sugar)
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
Batter:
1-1/2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 - 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
4 Tbsp vegan Margarine or Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Non-Dairy Milk
1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Flax Egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water) OR 1 Ener-G Egg substitute
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Topping:
2 Tbsp vegan Margarine or Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Flour
1/4 cup Sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 350˚F (176˚C).  Spray an 8-inch or 9-inch square glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2.  For the filling:  In a medium saucepan combine the fruit and 1/4 cup water.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Combine 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch and then add to the fruit mixture.  Cook and stir until about 2 minutes until thickened and bubbly.  Set aside.

3.  For the batter:  In a small dish combine your non-dairy milk and vinegar and set aside.  In separate dish mix the flax egg or energy egg and set aside.

4.  In a medium mixing bowl combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Cut in 4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) of margarine or coconut oil until small crumbs remain.    Add flax egg/Ener-G egg and vanilla to non-dairy milk and stir to combine.  Add wet to dry and stir until moistened.  Add a little extra non-dairy milk if it seems too dry.

5.  Spread 1/2 of the batter in the prepared glass dish.

6.  Spread evenly with the fruit filling.

7.  Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls onto fruit mixture.  9 spoonfuls seem to work well and act as a guide for cutting later.

8.  For the topping:  In small dish combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour.  Melt last 2 Tbsp margarine or coconut oil and mix into sugar/flour mixture until crumbly.  You can also add a little cinnamon to the topping.  Sprinkle on top of coffee cake.

9.  Bake in 350˚F oven for 40-45 minutes.  Please note I used coconut oil in the pictures in this recipe so while the squares are baked well, they did not brown on top like when using a vegan margarine. Remove from oven and let dish cool on a wire rack.

10.  Cut into squares and enjoy.  If serving the squares when they are still warm, you'll want to use a fork to eat them. If they are completely cool you can pick up the squares and eat them with your fingers.  Cover leftovers loosely with wax paper and they will last for a few days at room temperature.

- Bon Appetit

"  Life is short. Eat dessert first." - Ernestine Ulmer
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