Coffee Cake

If you haven't figured it out already, I'm a tradition girl.
I am a creature of habit.
Really, it is my Mom's fault.
She went out of her way to make any holiday a little more Special.
Especially Christmas.

I want Karson's Christmases to look just like mine did.
I never had to leave our house on Christmas.
I stayed in my pjs.
All day.
I played with my new toys.
All day.
I ate my favorite Christmas foods.
All day.
Starting before breakfast.
Because, really, what kid wants to take the time to sit and eat breakfast, when there is a tree filled with presents from Santa waiting for them?

Exactly.
My mom always made us her homemade coffee cake for pre-breakfast, while we opened gifts.
Whenever there is a family get together, we always have her coffee cake.
She made coffee cake for me the morning of my wedding.
We ate coffee cake at the cottage.
I know it is a family recipe, again, I just don't know how.
It is amazing.

I want Karson's Christmas mornings to include coffee cake.
And because I want to start traditions out early with him, I made coffee cake tonight for Saturday morning.

Krantz:
They are called Krantz in my family cook book. We call them coffee cake, but whenever the recipe is written out it is called Krants. I have no idea why.

1/2 lb butter
4 c flour 
Cut together (like pie crust)

Scald 1c milk
When it is warm add 1 pkg dry yeast, mix well.
Let it cool, it will kill the yeast.  But  not too cool, or it won't activate the yeast. Basically, have a few extra packages of yeast just in case.

Add
2T sugar
3 well beaten eggs

Mix yeast mixture with flour.
Refrigerate over night.

Divide into thirds.

Roll out into a rectangle.
Spread with melted butter.
Sprinkle with:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
Roll up the long way.
So it is long and skinny.
Cut into thirds, the long way.
Leave about an inch at the top so it stays together.
Braid.
Let rise.
Bake at 350* until light brown.
Mine took 20 minutes, but I have a crazy oven. It either cooks super fast or super slow. Drives me nuts!


Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Frosting:
A few pats of softened butter.
Some powered sugar.
Some milk.

Blame my Mom for the frosting directions. {love you Mom!:-)) It is how she cooks, and therefor how I cook.  Basically, add more milk to make to make it runnier. More powered sugar to make it thicker.  More of both to make more.  Just don't dump in all the powered sugar or milk in the beginning, or you won't have any left to fix with.

Obviously I made mine tonight, a few days before.  You can freeze them, for days or months down the road. Reheat them in the oven, frost them right before you eat them.

Did I say YUM?!