Raspberries & Roses

Yesterday's breakfast table was bright with most un-January-like colour and flavour.

Raspberries...

...atop a coffee cake spiked with lime zest and drizzled with intensely lime glaze. Tart and refreshing on a 20º morning, and perfect with eggs and a cup of...

...roses? Well, tea - but what is that lovely thing peeking out from behind the plate?

Only a gift from a dear bloggy friend. Only the most beautiful mug ever made (in England!). Staffordshire Heritage, in case you were wondering. Perfect for tea, and a most elegant vehicle for hot chocolate.

Thank you again, dear bloggy friend.

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Raspberry-Lime Coffee Cake for Two*

In bowl, combine:
1 cup flour (I used half whole-wheat, half unbleached)
2-4 Tbsp brown sugar (we used 2 - cake was barely sweet)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of nutmeg or mace
Zest of 1/4 - 1/2 lime

Add:
3/8 cup milk or milk substitute (coconut milk beverage for us)
2 Tbsp oil (I used extra-virgin olive)
1 egg**

Mix well. Spread into oiled and floured baking pan, 8x8" or 8-9" round. Sprinkle generously with fresh or frozen raspberries, then with a tablespoon or two of raw sugar (granulated sugar may be substituted). Bake at 375º about 20 minutes or until done. Cool slightly in pan.

Glaze:
1 tsp. butter, melted
Zest of 1/4 - 1/2 lime
1 tsp. fresh lime juice (more if needed)
Confectioner's sugar - stir in enough to make a thick paste, and pipe or drizzle onto cake. If glaze is too thick for drizzling, add more lime juice.

Note: I like to make a very thick glaze and pipe it onto the coffee cake, using a square of heavy plastic with a tiny hole cut in the middle. The plastic, which came from a bag that once held flour, can be washed and re-used and is less cumbersome than a piping bag.

*Recipe doubles well to fit in a 9x13" pan.
**For even better texture, separate egg and beat the white. Add yolk with other liquid ingredients to dry mixture and blend, then fold in egg white.

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