Almond Poppyseed Muffins

recipe from bake-aholic.com

Sometimes there is nothing like a warm, fresh muffin for breakfast and these muffins come together so easily that there isn't really any excuse not to enjoy them whenever you want.  We devoured these at our house.  I guess that means we can make them again soon!

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 egg

1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 Tablespoons poppy seed

3 teaspoons sugar

sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups (or spray them very well).  In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, the oil, egg, and almond.  Beat in sour cream and milk with a spoon until blended.  Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, soda, and poppy seed until well blended.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Sprinkle batter with 3 teaspoons sugar and the almonds.  Bake for 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

It is the time of year for all things pumpkin and this pumpkin bread recipe does not disappoint!  Mel from Mel's Kitchen Cafe  says that it tastes best when it has cooled completely for a few hours and even better the next day.  It is true... I tried a piece warm out of the oven, one a few hours later, and one after I had stored it in my refrigerator overnight, and it was definitely the tastiest the next day!  (Leave it to me to experiment with all three scenarios!)  

Recipe makes 2 (9x5 inch loaves) or 3 (8x4 inch loaves)

2 1/2 cups white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 cups sugar (I got away with about 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cups and it still tasted wonderful)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

2/3 cup water

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans (or three 8x4 inch loaf pans).  In a  large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs, and 2/3 cup water until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain.  Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake the bread for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cheddar Herb Bread

recipe adapted from my friend Nicole S.

This is a wonderful quick bread recipe that would be a perfect savory accompaniment to your favorite soup or salad. It has a slightly crumbly texture similar to a biscuit. I have a Tomato Basil Bisque recipe I am going to try this fall when it cools off a bit that I think would go perfectly with this bread. Maybe I won't be able to wait until fall!

Bread Mix:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon dried cilantro or parsley (I used parsley)

1 Tablespoon dried rosemary

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the bread mix, you can combine the dry ingredients in a resealable plastic bag or container and store up to 1 month.

To make the bread, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 8x4x2 inch loaf pan.  Place bread mix in a bowl.  With a pastry blender, cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in 4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded sharp cheddar or white cheddar cheese.  In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup milk and 1 egg, slightly beaten. *I also added about 1/2 cup frozen spinach chopped fine to the wet ingredients.  Add to crumb mixture all at once.  Stir quickly with a fork to moisten.  (Make sure the batter is moist throughout, but try not to over-mix.) Spread in prepared pan.  Bake 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Turn loaf out onto wire rack and cool completely.  Makes about 12 servings.

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

recipe adapted from Alexandra Cooks via Pinterest

Serves 6-8 .... or 1-2 depending on your self control!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

zest from 1 large lemon  (approx. 2 tsp)

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar*  *for sprinkling on top of cake before baking 

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh blueberries (I used frozen and thawed them out in warm water)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter with lemon zest and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  

2.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with 1/4 cup of flour, then whisk remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3.  Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk.  Fold in the blueberries.

4.  Grease a 9 inch square baking pan or something similar with butter or coat with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes.  Check with toothpick.  If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple more minutes.  Note: baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.  Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

The original recipe called for 3/4 cup sugar.  I reduced to 1/2 cup and it still tasted wonderful.  Also, I do like blueberries, but 2 cups seemed like a lot to me, so I only put in 1 cup and it was just the right amount for me, but if you love blueberries.... load it up! I think more blueberries would tend to result in a little bit moister cake if that is what you would like.

Apricot Bread

recipe slightly adapted from The Recipe Niche

Okay, I'm back after a very long hiatus.  I pretty much stopped posting recipes when I ran out of natural light at night (when I do most of my cooking) and my pictures looked atrocious.  I have my light back now (yea! - thank you daylight savings) and am ready to share some awesome recipes with you!  Last summer I canned some apricots and have realized over the winter, that I really don't like canned apricots. They are very tart and need to be sweetened quite a bit for me to enjoy them.  I preserved them in a very light syrup and it was not enough to make them enjoyable for me.  I did do some apricot freezer jam at the same time and that is deelish, but I have been trying to find some recipes to use these big ole jars of canned apricots that I have.  And today.... we have a winner!  Apricot quick bread.  It is really yummy and can I just say... I think some muffins made out of the same batter with little cream cheese frosting spread on top would be unbelievable.  Okay... here is the recipe!


1 cup apricot halves (pureed)
2 cups flour sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cups nuts chopped (of course, we don't do nuts at our house, but throw them in if you are a nutty household!)
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c butter
2 eggs
3 Tbsp orange juice


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drain apricots and reserve the syrup.  Puree apricots in a blender or food processor.  Add enough of the reserved syrup to pureed apricots to make 1 cup.  Combine dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl or in your stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar and eggs.  Add orange juice and apricot puree and mix.  Add flour mixture and mix well.  Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let loaf cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on wire rack.  


Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread or Cake

recipe from my Mom

There are so many wonderful recipes for zucchini bread and cake out there.  I'm not claiming this one to be superior to any... it's just the one my Mom gave me and I like it.  It is more of the spice cake zucchini bread variety than the chocolate zucchini bread recipe that is also out there.   If my husband could, he would have me add chocolate chips every time I make this bread, but I do like just the bread in all its delicious spicy glory sometimes.  This recipe can be used to make bread, or it is also delicious as a cake frosted with cream cheese frosting as well.  

**Makes 2 loaves or a 9x13 cake

1 c granulated sugar

1 c brown sugar (packed)

1 c canola oil

3 eggs

2 c grated zucchini

3 tsp vanilla

3 c flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c nuts (if desired)

In a mixer, beat sugars, oil, and eggs until fluffy.  Stir in zucchini and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and combine.  Pour batter into 2 bread pans or a 9x13 baking dish  and bake at 325 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Check center of loaf with a toothpick at about 45 minutes.  If toothpick comes out clean, bread is done.  I have found that loaves take closer to the hour time and a 9x13 cake takes closer to 45 minutes to finish baking.  

*I have also played around with this recipe to try to make it a little more friendly on the hips and here is a variation I have had success with.

3/4 c granulated sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

1 c applesauce

3 eggs

2 c grated zucchini

2 tsp vanilla

2 c white flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp allspice

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

Same process as above.  

Honey Cornbread

adapted from my friend Laurel

I got this recipe from one of my old college roomies, Laurel.  I like this particular cornbread recipe because it doesn't call for as much butter as others that I have tried and it also uses honey as the sweetener instead of sugar.

1 C sifted flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 C cornmeal

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 C milk

1/4 c butter

3 Tbsp honey

In a large bowl, mix and sift the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the cornmeal and mix.  In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, butter and honey. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until moistened.

Pour into and greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 min. Watch closely! (The original recipe says to bake at 425 degrees, but I always found that the cornbread was getting too brown on top and was a little dry.  At 375, my cornbread baked through, but stayed moist and crumbly.)  Yummy!  

Banana Bread

 

                                                 Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook 12th Ed.
I know that everyone has a banana bread recipe that they are loyal to, but the thing that makes this recipe special is the Streusel-Nut Topping. So, if you want, keep your own tried and true recipe, or try this one, but if you want to really up your banana bread game, add this topping before baking... it is delicious!


2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 c mashed ripe bananas (about 5 medium)
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c canola oil
1/4 c chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)


*Note: The original recipe calls for 1 c sugar, but I think it tastes fine reduced to 3/4 c. Plus, the topping adds a little extra sugar.  But, if you are a purist, add the whole cup.


*Note:  The walnuts are optional at my house and we "opt" not to use them, but my husband begs me to put chocolate chips in my quick breads.  If you decide to add chocolate chips, give them a rough chop or use mini chips and toss them in a little bit of flour before stirring them into your batter.  This will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf while baking.


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one loaf pan and set aside.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Fold in nuts or chocolate chips if desired.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.


Sprinkle **Streusel-Nut topping over batter (**see recipe below)


Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. (If necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning).  Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing. (if you can stop yourself from eating a slice right away after your house is filled with the delicious smell!)


**Streusel-Nut Topping:
1/4 c brown sugar (packed)
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter (chilled)
1/3 c chopped walnuts (again, optional)


In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and flour.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped walnuts.


Note:  If you don't add the walnuts, your topping will not be quite so crumbly, but it still adds a fun texture and taste to top off your banana bread.