kaffeeklatch coffeecake

2 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup cold butter
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup plus 2 tbs buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 pounds frozen pitted apricots
1/3 cup brown sugar

Place apricots in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a couple tablespoons water and close the lid. When thawed, add brown sugar and continue cooking until fruit is thoroughly heated and the juice bubbles and begins to thicken. Set aside. Butter and flour an 8-x11 ½x2-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Set aside 1 cup of the crumbs for the topping.

Into remaining crumbs, blend in baking powder baking soda. Make a well in the centre and pour in buttermilk and beaten egg. Using a fork, pull crumbs into the liquid in the centre, mixing just to combine. Spread 2/3 of the batter over the bottom and half-way up sides of the prepared dish. Using a slotted spoon to leave behind some of the fruit juices, spoon fruit over the batter. By teaspoonfuls, drop remaining batter evenly over top of fruit. Cover with set aside crumbs and bake at 350-degrees for 40 minutes, or until a tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool on a baking rack for 20 minutes before serving. Simmer the remaining juice over med-low heat, reducing it to a sauce to be drizzled over the coffeecake.

Alternates: Stewed apples, prune plums, blueberries, raspberries and rhubarb all substitute well as filling for this coffeecake, but require that you adjust the sugar accordingly.