One of my favorite Xmas traditions is baking a Candy Cane Coffeecake for breakfast. YUM! I usually start the process the night before and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight, but this year I did it all this morning. The recipe comes from an OLD cookbook put out by WPL (WI Power and Light). I've been making this since high school.

Christmas Candy Cane Coffeecake

Dissolve 1 pkg dry yeast in 1/4 C warm water

Scald 1 C milk, cool, and add to yeast mixture

Add 2 eggs, slightly beaten

In a separate bowl, combine: 4 1/4 C flour, 1/2 C sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp grated lemon rind

Cut in 1 C cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add yeast mixture; mix well. Dough is soft. Place in a greased bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Divide dough into thirds. On a floured surface, roll each third into a 6x15” rectangle. Spread 1/3 cranberry filling (see below) lengthwise down the center of the dough in a 2” wide strip. Cut dough w/ scissors every 1/2” from both outer edges toward the filling. Be careful not to cut too close to the filling. Crisscross pieces of dough over filling.

Place on a greased cooky sheet. Stretch dough to about 20”; curve to form a cane. Let rise 1/2 hour. Bake 375º for 25 min. Frost with a thin powdered sugar glaze and serve.

Cranberry Filling

Combine in a saucepan: 1 1/2 C finely chopped cranberries, 3/4 C sugar, 1/2 C raisins, 1/3 C chpd pecans, 1/3 C honey, 1 tsp grated orange rind. Cook over medium heat 5 min. Cool.

It might seem like a lot of work, but you'll be rewarded with a real treat. Remember, this recipe makes three canes. You can bake them all at once, store the rest in the fridge up to a week, or freeze one or two to bake at a later date.

The filling oozed out a bit on mine, but it still tasted great. Please be sure to let me know if you bake this holiday delight. Enjoy!

This might come as a shock to you, but I wasn't always a professional artist. In fact, there were years when my creative talents were geared more to making a home than making art. Creativity will NOT be stopped. It simply must seep out through the pores of a creative person (I believe we are All creative in our own ways).

Cooking and baking were once my main passionately creative outlets. That's why I enjoy sharing my recipes with the you. 

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat cranberries! I like fresh cranberry muffins,  fresh cranberry bread,  fresh cranberry relish, and fresh cranberry sauce.

Fresh! That is the key word! The Cranberries MUST be FRESH. And that only happens once a year. Now!

Every year I wait for cranberry season to arrive — it is frightfully short here in Hawai‘i!

The folks at the grocery store are beginning to know me as the cranberry fanatic. I ask for them weeks before they are here, knowing full well they will be gone before December first rolls around. That is why I buy up and freeze bags of Fresh Cranberries every year. 

You HAVE tasted Fresh Cranberries, right? Yes, they are tart, AND they are filled with vitamin C and fiber. They are the “good-for-you, healthy fruit.”

Try my recipe for Foolproof, Fresh, Hawaiian-style Cranberry Relish and you will be hooked — I promise. 

Foolproof, Fresh, Hawaiian-style Cranberry Relish

1 Cup Orange Juice

½-1 Cup sugar (I use ½ C, but you can use up to one cup)

1 Bag Fresh Cranberries

¼ Fresh Pineapple cut into bite-size pieces (substitute 1 small can of pineapple OR 1 apple OR 1 orange)

½ C chopped Mac Nuts (walnuts are a good substitute)

Cinnamon to taste

Bring the juice and sugar to a boil and add the remaining ingredients. Turn heat to medium, and cook for ten minutes, stirring every few minutes. Watch your stove, you don’t want this to boil over! Enjoy!

Remember, if you live here in Hawai‘I, Please save a few bags of fresh cranberries for me. I haven't stocked up just yet!

This is one of my mom’s new favorite recipes. Try it, you’ll love it too, it’s easy, fast, fun, and delicious!

To download the recipe along with the article "Me, Me, Pick Me!" click here.

Beat 4 eggs
Add 3/4 C sugar and continue to beat
Add 1/4 C flour (I used WW flour), and 1 1/4 tsp
baking powder
Add 2 C milk, 1 tsp vanilla,
1/4 C melted butter,
and 1 C coconut

Pour into a glass pie pan sprayed with “pam” and bake at 350º for 1 hour 5 min.The pie makes its own crust. The coconut floats to the top, the sugars caramelize, and turn a lovely golden brown.

YUMMY!