quick bread

Cranberry-Pecan Pumpkin Bread

I make this bread every Thanksgiving. It’s like edible baked Autumn.  It’s got texture, body and flavor. It’s sweet enough to serve with dessert but so pretty served with dinner. Besides, can you have too many dishes on the table for a holiday? But don’t limit yourself to just one day! I make this bread other times too. It’s great with coffee for breakfast, it goes fantastic served with salad, and I serve it as a sweet bread side dish with all of our regular staple dishes (soups, stews, even pasta…) to give them a Fall feel. No one is disappointed to see this bread being served.

As organic as possible:

1 cup Brown sugar

1/2 cup Sugar

1 cup cooked or canned Pumpkin

1/2 cup Walnut oil

2 Eggs, beaten

2 cups Flour

1 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground Ginger

3/4 cup dried Cranberries

3/4 cup chopped Pecans

1/4 cup Water

Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix sugars, pumpkin, oil and eggs. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. In a small bowl toss cranberries and pecans with a couple tablespoons of the flour and spice mixture. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and combine. Add the cranberries and pecans and stir until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake 65-75 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack*.

*If using a molded loaf pan: The bread does rise. I have used a thin string to slice the loaf and give it a flat bottom to invert onto a plate. However, I have found that the best method (and prettiest on a plate) is to use a serrated knife and cut the loaf about 1/2″ over the loaf pan. That is also the best part about using the loaf pan, because you get to eat some of it without cutting into the presentable part! (And you’re going to want to taste it right away.)

Cool completely before slicing.

Lemon Bread

I appreciate the sour note of a lemon, especially in something sweet. This bread is great in the morning for breakfast, it works as a dessert, and can be served on the side of a salad. But my favorite way to eat this treat is in the afternoon with a cup of coffee (or tea for my English friends). It’s the perfect little bright pick-me-up.

Makes 1 Loaf

As organic as possible:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Topping:

1 Tbsp lemon zest

2 pinches sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease (or spray) a loaf pan and set aside. Beat the butter with an electric mixer (or your strong arms and a utensil) until creamy. Add the half the sugar and beat into the butter, then add the other half of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and zest, mix until blended. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk into the butter mixture. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the glaze. Place the powdered sugar and lemon juice into a bowl and stir until it makes a thick, sticky, yummy liquid. Remove the loaf from the pan and place it on the serve ware of your choice. Spoon the glaze onto the loaf, allowing it to flow down the sides like lava out of a volcano (just the flow part, not the fire or sputtering).

Before the glaze dries sprinkle the zest and pinches of sugar evenly across the top. Serve at will.

Banana Bread

Banana Nut Bread is one of the easiest homemade delights around. To top that, it is so versatile! It’s a great breakfast treat to make ahead for family and overnighting guests. It’s an ideal addition to any brunch. It’s delicious eaten sliced right off of the loaf or toasted with a slab of butter. Banana bread is a perfect accompaniment for a light salad. It is easily toted to potluck gatherings and good for bake sales. If it were running for office, I would be its campaign manager.

Makes 1 Loaf

2 cups flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg (I like freshly grated)

¼ tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

4 medium bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp milk

¾ cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp for topping

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup sunflower oil (or oil of your choice)

½ cup chopped walnuts, 1 Tbsp reserved for topping

1 pat butter or baking spray

Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with butter or baking spray, set aside. Now that you got all of the work done, let’s create! In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, mashed bananas, vanilla (because all baked goods need vanilla), milk, sugars, and oil. When combined add wet egg mixture to dry flour mixture.

Side note: There are certain baking rules that I just follow without question. One of them is adding wet to dry ingredients, which is the rule; unless there is a butter mixture involved in which you alternate adding dry and wet ingredients, in that order and sometimes even specified to start and finish with dry. These are just the common practices, and I follow them. If you want to be crazy and spontaneous that’s up to you, but heed my words I don’t know what you’ll end up with… probably banana bread.

When wet and dry ingredients are incorporated (mixture will be lumpy), gently fold in walnuts.

Another side note: If you know me, you know that I prefer banana baked goods with pecans, and they are perfectly substitutable in this recipe. I am also very traditional. So I do make my banana bread with walnuts… most of the time.

Pour the banana mixture in the greased loaf pan. Evenly spread the sugar and reserved walnuts across the top of the banana batter and place in the oven for 55 – 60 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the center of the bread. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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