Chocolate-Streusel Coffee Cake

It's the beginning of a 5-day weekend for Squirt. Five. This morning was parent-teacher conferences and though it's always nice to have some one on one conversation with her teacher, it's also nice once it's done. I promised her that we could put her entire head in little braids since there wouldn't be a need to take them out for a few days. While we spent an hour watching some random Pokemon movie and getting that done, I really needed to smell something baking to get the morning going. There is just something awesome about the smell of something in the oven, and it was a good distraction from Pokemon.

This is something I've been wanting to make for a while. I love that it has chocolate, pecans, and coconut, but also that it isn't too sweet. It's also easy. Very, very easy. I modified it from my mom's old Betty Crocker cookbook (Copyright 1969!) which lends a sense of nostalgia as well.

Kid tested, mother approved. Just like almost anything else that has chocolate in it.

Chocolate-Streusel Coffee Cake 

1/3 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar, divided
4 tbsp. butter, melted
scant 2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup chocolate pieces, melted

Heat oven to 375. Grease a square pan 8x8x2 inches. In a small bowl, stir together coconut, nuts, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tbsp. of the melted butter. Set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, egg, milk, and remaining melted butter. Beat vigorously until well combined, then pour into prepared pan.

Spread the chocolate over the batter. Using a knife, cut through the batter several times for a swirled effect. Sprinkle the coconut mixture evenly over the top. Bake 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.