Coffee Bread

This coffee bread recipe comes from a special cookbook, the “Mary Martha Cookbook”.  The cookbook was a technically a gift from my mother-in-law, but really it was planned to be a gift from my husband’s Nana Wilma who lost her battle with breast cancer.  This was a treasured cookbook to my husband’s Nana, and she had set aside a copy for each of her grandchildren, to give as a shower gift when they were engaged.

This recipe is called “European Coffee Cake” in the cookbook, but has become known as “Coffee Bread” over the years.  It is wonderful for breakfast, but in our home we enjoy it at all times of the day.  The recipe makes a large pan (or two smaller pans!), but I guarantee it won’t last long!

I like to use a quarter-recipe of my great-grandma’s refrigerator roll dough. Make a half, and save the other half in the refrigerator for rolls or another use. However, you can use a box of hot roll mix.  Just make the dough according to the package.  After you have the dough ready, roll out the dough to fit one 13″x17″ pan or two 13″x9″ pans. Grease the pan(s) lightly with baking spray.  Place the dough in the pan(s), and let dough rise until doubled.

Preheat the oven at this step.  Spread the pie filling over the dough.  The pie filling is not supposed to be a thick layer; it’s okay if you think it’s a little thin.  Or, if you like, add another can! As to which fruit to use, we really enjoy cherry.  However, you can use any type of fruit pie filling you want.  It’s versatile, like my fruit squares!

Combine the remaining filling ingredients and drizzle over the pie filling.

Combine the topping ingredients with a pastry cutter, until the dough is the size of small peas.  Sprinkle the topping over the filling.

Bake in a preheated oven.  Check on it at 15 minutes, but it could take up to around 20 minutes until the bread is a light golden brown.

Cool and cut into squares.  Enjoy any time of day!