Herman Coffee Cake

Herman Coffee Cake

2 cups Herman starter

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup oil

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 to 1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ginger

2 eggs

1/2 to 1 cup nuts

1 cup raisins, dates or apricots

Combine all ingredients and pour into a well-greased and floured 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Top with streusel.

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 cup melted butter

2/3 cup nuts, optional

Mix ingredients and top coffee cake batter in baking pan. Bake 35 to 50 minutes in 350-degree oven.

Glaze:

1 stick margarine

2/3 to 1 cup brown sugar

1/2 to 1 cup milk

Put ingredients in saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Pour over baked coffee cake when it emerges from the oven.

Herman or Friendship Starter

1 cup  Sugar 

1/3 cup Warm water 

2 Envelopes active dry yeast

2 cups Milk 

2 cups Flour 

Sprinkle one tablespoon sugar over warm water. Sprinkle yeast over this and let  stand in warm place until doubled in size, about 10 minutes. Mix milk, remaining  sugar, flour and yeast mixture. Place in plastic or glass container about the  size of a 5-quar ice cream bucket. Stir, using only a wooden spoon or paddle, as  metal retards growth. Cover loosely and let stand in a warm place overnight.

The  next day, refrigerate. Stir each day with a wooden spoon to retard spoilage.

On the fifth day, measure out one cup to bake with. Measure out one cup for  gift. Feed remaining starter one cup flour, one cup milk and one-half cup sugar.  Stir well. Refrigerate and stir daily.

On the 10th day, measure out one cup, if  desired, to give to a friend. You should have enough left over to use in a  recipe, plus extra to feed as before and refrigerate.

Thereafter, use the  starter almost daily or as desired, feeding every five days.