Pat's Cherry Coffee Cake

Pat Leslie and Joanne Ross are lifelong friends -- and Pat is the best cook I have ever personally known. She used to have her own cooking show on the radio. Now, she teaches at a cooking school in Olympia, Washington. Pat ATTENDED JULIA CHILD'S BIRTHDAY PARTIES!! She has an amazing knowledge about cooking -- and an extensive cookbook collection to prove it. Whenever I need a recipe for something unusual -- Pat is my "go to" girl....

Recently, when I had ALL THOSE DAMN CHERRIES -- I wanted to make a Cherry Coffee Cake for my Breakfast Club. Pat sent me a dozen recipes -- here's the one I chose -- and it was DELICIOUS...

Cherry Coffee Cake
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 (15 oz.) can cherry pie filling
In large bowl, beat eggs with sugar, vegetable oil, and almond extract until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and mix just until batter is combined.
Grease a 9x13" baking pan with solid shortening or unsalted butter and dust with flour. Spread half of the batter in prepared pan. Spoon small dollops of the pie filling over the batter, then spoon remaining batter on top of pie filling (the batter won't cover all of the pie filling; that's okay!).
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes or until coffee cake is deep golden brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

Note: Make your own cherry pie filling:
Fresh Cherry Pie Filling
2 cups fresh pitted cherries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
In a saucepan, cook cherries in water for 10 minutes. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch; add to cherries. Cook cherry mixture until thickened. Cool slightly before using to fill pie shell or other dessert.

Thanks again, Pat! YOU ROCK!! Here are my two Linda's -- enjoying the cherry coffee cake...

Sandy and I got our fair share...

I wish you could have joined us, Pat. IT WAS DELICIOUS...

Thanks again for being my recipe phone-a-friend, babe!!