Cranberry Vanilla Coffeecake

For a special treat on Christmas morning, serve your friends and family Cranberry-Vanilla Coffeecake, from a recipe by Melissa Roberts in Gourmet magazine, December 2008. It proved to be so popular, I actually made it a few times throughout last year's holiday season.

This recipe packs a bundle. It is incredibly easy to make, and can even be made a day ahead. It is festive and flavorful for the holidays. In the middle of this coffeecake is a surprise tart cranberry filling, and its garnish on top is sifted powdered sugar, which is reminiscent of snowflakes. Underlying it all, is fresh vanilla bean flavored sugar. This flavor combination is hard to beat.

Cranberry Vanilla Coffeecake works well by itself and perhaps with a piping hot cup of fresh cinnamon coffee to accompany it, or maybe you would like to include it as part of an entire Christmas Brunch menu. Enjoy! Happy Holidays everyone!