Sparkler, cake for breakfast

<p>Do you have a friend you can take anywhere at the last minute, someone who looks as good in Levi's as in a tuxedo or cocktail dress, someone who is so comfortable in their own skin that they move through a crowd of strangers with warmth and ease?</p><p>Our Wine of the Week, Roederer Estate 25th Anniversary Anderson Valley Brut Sparkling Wine ($22), is that friend in a bottle. It is just as lovely alongside the most humble fare -- toast with butter, crackers and cheese, scrambled eggs -- as it is served with the foods most people associate with sparkling wine, celebratory indulgences like oysters, caviar and a well-made pate.</p><p>This bottling of Roederer's non-vintage sparkler is absolutely beautiful, with a sultry, smoky quality that weaves through the wine's floral bouquet. On the palate, bubbles dance and sparkle, bringing flavors of white peaches, salt caramels and yeast with each bounce.</p><p>There is just a hint of spice, not enough to really identify but definitely there, a call to foods with similar characteristics. This wine will pair gorgeously with savory dishes that include a hint of clove, allspice, sweet anise, ginger and cinnamon, anything from a Southeast Asian curry to grilled duck rubbed with Chinese five-spice powder.</p><p>Although I would be happy to drink this wine any time at all, I think it is ideal on Christmas morning, with whatever you prefer. Christmas breakfast has always been one of my favorite meals of the year, primarily because there is a wonderful sense of leisure about it. This year I plan on making a favorite coffee cake, which I offer here as today's recipe, and serving it with citrus-pomegranate compote, crispy bacon and creme fraiche alongside.</p><p>This coffee cake traditionally includes either walnuts or pecans in the topping but I have long made it without the nuts, as my girls do not care for them. If you want to add them, you'll need half a cup of shelled nuts, which you should fold in to the topping after adding the butter.</p><p>Sour Cream and Cinnamon Coffee Cake</p><p>Makes one 9-by-9-inch cake</p><p>For the topping:</p><p>3 tablespoons all-purpose flour</p><p>½ cup, packed, brown sugar</p><p>¾ teaspoon kosher salt</p><p>1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</p><p>3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature</p><p>For the cake:</p><p>-- Butter, at room temperature, to grease the pan</p><p>1½ cups all purpose flour, sifted</p><p>1 cup sugar</p><p>2 teaspoons baking powder</p><p>½ teaspoon baking soda</p><p>½ teaspoon ground cinnamon</p><p>½ teaspoon kosher salt</p><p>1 cup best-quality sour cream</p><p>2 large eggs, beaten</p><p>1 teaspoon vanilla</p><p>For the topping: Put the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl and use a fork to blend well and then work the butter into the sugar until it forms a uniform crumb. Set aside.</p><p>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.</p><p>For the cake: Butter a 9-by-9-inch baking dish.</p><p>Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and stir quickly with a fork to blend thoroughly.</p><p>In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream, beaten eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the sour cream mixture and use a rubber spatula to mix quickly; do not overmix or the coffee cake will be tough.</p><p>Pour the batter into the buttered pan.</p><p>Sprinkle the topping over the batter and bake until the cake is lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.</p><p>Remove from the oven and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the cake, turn it out carefully onto a large plate, set a cooling rack over the cake and gently turn it over, so that the cake rests crumb-side-up on the rack. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes more and serve warm.</p><p>Michele Anna Jordan can be contacted via e-mail at michele@micheleannajordan.com.</p>