Crumbly Goodness, or a non-Friday recipe

If you need a post-Inauguration, midweek pick-me-up, I recommend this chocolate-chip coffee cake. I used this easy recipe from Pete Bakes with a couple of modifications. The main difference is that I cut the sugar and cinnamon topping as the version he has left me with lots of extra. Perhaps one could mix it all up and make some cinnamon sugar toast with the leftovers. I also used a smaller brownie pan because the batter was too thick to effectively spread in a 9x13 pan. And maybe I used a little more than 6 oz. of chocolate chips. But that's a decision I'll leave to your best judgment.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Makes a lot (your officemates, housemates, family, etc will be pleased)

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 oz chocolate chips
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp water
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda


1. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, chocolate chips.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter, 1 cup white sugar, and eggs. Add in the sour cream, vanilla, and water. Mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and soda. Pour into the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured 9×13 inch (or brownie) pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon, sugar and chocolate chip mixture on the batter. Pour in the rest of the batter and top with the rest of the cinnamon, sugar and chip mix.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for (at least*) 30 minutes. Let cool for at least an hour before cutting into it, or the chocolate chips will be too melty and it will be hard to get out of the pan.

6. Eat. Share. Lick your lips.

*If you use a smaller pan, it will probably need to bake longer since the cake will be deeper. Mine took about 40 minutes, but I recommend checking after 30 minutes with your favorite toothpick/knife. Then keep checking every 3-5 minutes until the toothpick/knife can be inserted and removed cleanly (or with just some chocolate smearing).