My mother is a poem
I’ll never be able to write,
though everything I write
is a poem to my mother.
~Sharon Doubiago

I love the sentiment behind Mother’s Day; a day set aside to tell your mom that you love and appreciate her, or if she’s no longer with you, to reflect on your happiest memories of her.  It’s also special for moms who have their little ones in their arms for the first time this year; ultimately, I guess Mother’s Day is special to almost everyone. We wouldn’t be here without them!  

Grown don’t mean nothing to a mother.  A child is a child.  They get bigger, older, but grown?  What’s that suppose to mean?  In my heart it don’t mean a thing.  ~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987

We lost my mom in 2003; it was sudden and we were deeply shaken. Many of you know how that is. However, I still feel her with me.  I hear her voice coming out of my mouth sometimes, or my sister’s mouth.  I hear her voice in my head calling me in my dreams sometimes, like when I was little. I still see her laughing in my mind; she had a silly, joyful laugh.  I remember how she would sit in the pew near the front in church when my sister or I would sing a solo, and she’d just sit there and cry, she was so joyful and proud. I am sad sometimes that I can’t tell her things now that time has passed and the boys are teenagers. She would  be so proud of the things we are doing in our lives.  Sometimes I secretly hope that God allows her to know these things so she can be proud of us up there in Heaven. 🙂 

If mom were here, I’d also love to make this recipe for her! This lovely coffee cake will be a lovely addition to your Mother’s Day breakfast in bed, brunch, or even dessert tray. It’s so pretty when baked, and the taste of the raspberries combined with the chocolate make it elegantly decadent. I will be using this recipe every chance I get; I’m not saving it for Mother’s Day only!  🙂

Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

FOR THE TOPPING:
1 packed cup light brown sugar
4 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

1. For the topping, in a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and butter. Using your hands, mix thoroughly, then add chocolate. Mix well with a wooden spoon and set aside.

2. For the cake, preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon.

3. Pour batter into a lightly greased 11″ round springform cake pan. Sprinkle raspberries over cake, then cover with topping. Bake until well-browned, about an hour. Remove from springform after about 10 minutes and serve warm.

Tip: You could also make this in a 9×13 baking dish.  If you have an 8″ spring form pan, halve the recipe to use with that size.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar to finish.

She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn’t take them along.  ~Margaret Culkin Banning

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