Feast of St. Lucy: Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake

On the morning of the Feast of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, in honor of my namesake, the girls and I enjoyed a delicious cherry cheese coffee cake. This simple recipe was found on CatholicCuisine. It calls for things that were already in my fridge/pantry. Love that. Crescent rolls, pie filling, cream cheese, an egg, powdered sugar and a little vanilla. I wimped out on making the traditional Luciakatter, a sweet saffron-flavored twisted bread. But this coffee cake recipe was quick and easy. Plus there's always next year!

While we waited for the pastry to cool, I read a short story about the life of St. Lucy and then we said a prayer asking for her intercession for our family. 

Note: In the future, I hope to up my game a bit and enhance the pastry with dough braids or twists to add some artsy flair. It's such a pretty breakfast treat to eat. 

Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake

Cake and Filling Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. package of refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 8 oz. package of refrigerated crescent dough sheet
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
• 21 oz. can cherry pie filling

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 teaspoons milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Unroll crescent dough sheet onto a pizza stone. Using a knife, round off corners to make a circle shape. Make a "X" cut in the center of the circle and fold over the four triangles to make a hole (about 3 inches wide) in the center. 

Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla and spread over dough. Top with pie filling. 

Cut each of the crescent roll triangles into thirds. Arrange them over the filling evenly in a spoke-like pattern. Press ends to seal at the center and outer edges. 

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly.

Mix powdered sugar and milk until glaze consistency and drizzle over coffee cake. 

Our scrumptious St. Lucy pastry

A coloring cut-out embellishes our fridge

"Now in the winter night

Good folk are waiting.

See now the maid of light,

Darkness abating.

Into our hearts she walks,

Telling her story,

Candles in shining crown

Lighting her glory.

Chorus:

Symbol of love sublime,

Moving o'er space and time,

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia.

Into this winter night,

Come maid of shining light,

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia.

When on this earth she walked,

 Bravely confessing,

All to the poor she gave,

All felt her blessing. 

Ever her legend grew,

Spanning each ocean.

Light of the longest night,

Maid of devotion. "

 Verses from a song found in, "Lucia Child of Light" by Florence Ekstrand

St. Lucy shining her light

In Sweden, the oldest daughter of a family will wake up before dawn on St. Lucy's Day and dress in a white gown for purity, often with a red sash as a sign of martyrdom. On her head she will wear a wreath of greenery and lit candles, and she is often accompanied by "starboys," her small brothers who are dressed in white gowns and cone-shaped hats that are decorated with gold stars, and carrying star-tipped wands. "St. Lucy" will go around her house and wake up her family to serve them special St. Lucy Day foods."  ~ Fisheaters 


When I was ten, I dressed up like St. Lucy and served coffee and english muffins to mom and the siblings. Carefully balancing the advent wreath on my head, I would walk up the stairs with my tray of goodies.

Now the tradition has befallen my daughter. In order to look the part, I dressed her in a large white shirt and tied a red christmas ribbon around her waist. Tada! St. Lucy's gown and sash, in a pinch. There are several girls nightgowns online that are just lovely. I've got my eye on this one and also these old fashioned nightgowns. 

At a church sale a few weeks ago, Oma found this St. Lucy crown with battery operated lights. She bought it for a mere $5! What a find. It's a bit too large for toddler heads, but it was fun for them to try it on. 

St. Lucy, ora pro nobis!