Mixed Berry Coffee Cake

It's a lovely weekend at the Farmer's Market! If you got excited and bought more berries than you could possibly eat before they go bad (like I did), make a coffeecake!

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening

• 3/4 cups sugar

• 1 egg

• 2 cups flour

• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 2 cups fresh berries (use blueberry or a mix of raspberry, blueberry, strawberry)

For the topping:

• 1/3 cup cold, quartered butter

• 1 cup light brown sugar

• 3/4 cup flour

• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add egg and beat well. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Fold into creamed mixture. As you are mixing, add the milk and sour cream alternately. Mix thoroughly into a smooth dough and put into a 10" pie dish. Mold to the dish a bit by pressing the edges so sides are formed.

Sprinkle with berries.

Make a crumble by pinching the butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon together with your fingertips. Make sure the butter is totally incorporated, but don't make the mix too smooth. It should be irregular - not like sand. Sprinkle evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Set on a rack to cool. Serve warm with some coffee or ice cream or both. Enjoy!

This recipe comes from The Gathering of Friends, Vol 2, by Michelle Huxtable, 2009. Everything I've tried in this book is good; the recipes are pretty simple and very "homey".