Smith Family Coffee Cake

What you'll need

  • 2 packages Red Star (not Fleischman's) Quick Rise Dry Yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
  • 1 1/2 cup lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled), whole or 2%
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup Crisco white shortening
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 unit eggs
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups raisins (run water over and let sit about 15-20 minutes)
  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in 2 1/2-quart bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, shortening, salt, eggs and half of the flour. Mix in 3 teaspoons of cinnamon and a half-teaspoon of nutmeg. Slap 'dem raisins in too.
  2. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle. Turn on lightly floured surface; knead the heck out of it until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
  3. Placed in Crisco-ed 2 1/2-quart bowl; flip over, then turned greased side up.
  4. Put waxed paper (and maybe a towel) over it. Let rise 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Then, after rising to twice its size, punch it down. Cruel, but necessary.
  5. Let it rise to double-size again, and again, like a WWF wrestler, TAKE IT DOWN!
  6. Now it's ready to put in the pans. Brush melted butter on top while in the pan. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl, then sprinkle on top.
  7. Let them rise again until double in bulk. Put it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 22

Submitted by: Liz

Thanks to: Tony Smith