Thanks, Susan: for me the take-away reinforces that it's so worth it to pay attention to the recipe and what's going on in the oven. My Grandmothers and Mother didn't have a fraction of the equipment at their disposal as I do, and had no idea whether or not their oven temperatures were accurate. But. When they whipped out their so-called special occasion delectables which included recipes like this one, rest assured only crumbs remained. Bottom line: the most important ingredient can't be bought -- it's called "love" -- and despite the unending list of chores in store for all three of them they could be seen guarding their oven doors while the magic you mentioned happened.

I still reach for my glass 8x8 to make the same simple but grand coffee cake recipe I started out making with my Mother from her trusty Sunbeam Mixmaster recipe booklet. Everything you've said about glass is spot-on, although I adjust the oven temperature only once I can smell the cinnamon streusel and at which time I also know it's time to stand guard to ensure it doesn't wind up over-baking.

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