Cranberry Coffee Cake and Lemon Squares

At our house we have been baking up a "Spring Storm" over the past two weeks with many different desserts, cookies and squares. I used up the last of the rhubarb to make the most wonderful apple rhubarb cobbler. One thing that makes me think of Spring is lemons with their bright yellow colour and their tangy taste. Our family loves the lemon squares posted and I know you will too. This cranberry loaf is also tangy and terrific and goes great with morning coffee!
Enjoy!

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
Streusel:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Cake:
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
Zest and juice from 1 orange
2 cups cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For streusel: mix together brown sugar, flour, pecans and cinnamon. Blend in butter until crumbly. Set aside.
For cake: cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Mix in orange zest and juice.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture, alternately with sour cream or yogurt.
Spread in a greased 9 inch tube pan.
Cover with cranberries, and sprinkle the streusel on top.
Bake for about 55 minutes.
Remove from pan, and serve warm.





Lemon Squares

1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup icing sugar

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp lemon juice

Combine butter, flour and icing sugar together and press into a prepared 9x13 pan. Bake at 350' for 15 minutes.

For the top, combine eggs, juice, and sugar, adding flour as you mix. Pour this onto crust and bake for 25 minutes. When cooled, cut into squares (bars) and dust with icing sugar.