HELP me decipher this recipe! School Cookbook

[twinklebug]

I'm entering 4th grade recipies into a databank - they will be turned into a cookbook for the kids to share and parents to buy... BUT I found a puzzling one that just doesn't sound right. I'd appreciate any help in cleaning this up to something that looks do-able (I've never cooked a coffee cake) This is as written by the parent or child (hard to tell by handwriting):

Coffee Cake

½ c margarine
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
topping:
1/3 c brown sugar
¼ c sugar
(column break)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ c chopped nuts
1 tsp salt
1 c sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in bowl. In another bowl cream shortening, add sugar, add eggs beating well. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream to egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla.

Pour ½ of batter into greased bundt pan.

Combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle ½ of topping on batter. Carefully pour remaining topping.

Bake at 350º for 30 to 40 minutes.

 

[MissBubbles]

I think you need to move the ingredients below nuts back up into the batter part (salt, vanilla, sour cream). The topping's sound like they would be nuts, cinnamon, sugar(s). Otherwise it sounds fine to me.

 

[twinklebug]

I think you need to move the ingredients below nuts back up into the batter part (salt, vanilla, sour cream). The topping's sound like they would be nuts, cinnamon, sugar(s). Otherwise it sounds fine to me.

Thank you! That sounds better... how about the last part

Pour ½ of batter into greased bundt pan.

Combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle ½ of topping on batter. Carefully pour remaining topping.

I think the author forgot a step in assembly: Should that be changed to something like "layer batter & topping: pour 1/2 batter into pan, spinkle 1/2 topping, finish with remaining batter and cover top with remaining topping"? or is that too confusing?

 

[twinklebug]

This cookbook has been a learning lesson for me. I've learned that the shorter and easier a recipie looks to type up, the more likely it is to be a mess (parents were in a rush) and I'll have to search the web for a similar recipie to try and fix it... on Soda Bread - doesn't tell where to include the caraway seeds nor when to add the eggs. Most recipies for this on the web don't even use eggs.

 

[Imzadi]

In another bowl cream shortening, add sugar, add eggs beating well.

Where is the shortening in this recipe? Do they mean the margerine? This should be clarified. You might also want to list all the dry ingredients together & then the wet ones, topping last, so people can add them in order.

 

[disykat]

Thank you! That sounds better... how about the last part


I think the author forgot a step in assembly: Should that be changed to something like "layer batter & topping: pour 1/2 batter into pan, spinkle 1/2 topping, finish with remaining batter and cover top with remaining topping"? or is that too confusing?

Yes. I'd change the last part to something like "pour 1/2 batter into greased pan, sprinkle with 1/2 or the topping, cover with remaining batter and end with remaining topping" just to avoid saying "top with topping". You could also leave out the first "layer batter & topping:" since you were so specific in your directions.

The coffee cake sounds good. I've made similar.

 

[twinklebug]

Where is the shortening in this recipe? Do they mean the margerine? This should be clarified. You might also want to list all the dry ingredients together & then the wet ones, topping last, so people can add them in order.

Good points. I know if I were cooking this I'd want them listed that way.
Wow - I'll be a bonified chef wannabe once I'm done here.

Yes. I'd change the last part to something like "pour 1/2 batter into greased pan, sprinkle with 1/2 or the topping, cover with remaining batter and end with remaining topping" just to avoid saying "top with topping". You could also leave out the first "layer batter & topping:" since you were so specific in your directions.

The coffee cake sounds good. I've made similar.

Thank you Disykat, you're now my unofficial-official editor
I only had 20 recipies to start with, so if this is an indicator, about 1 of every 10 will have obvious writing problems.