Chocolate Banana Bread

They key with this bread, as with all quick breads, is to be careful about the cooking time. It’s tempting to take it out early – in a full sized loaf it needs to cook just over an hour, which seems like a really long time. But if it comes out too early it will sink in the middle, and undercooked bread isn’t nearly as tasty as, say, undercooked cookies. When it’s done the top will be cracked (like you can see in the photo above) and when you gently press down on it with your finger it will spring back up instead of staying depressed. If it sinks a tiny bit as it cools, don’t worry too much, it will still taste good. When I bake it in 3 smaller loaf pans the cook time is generally somewhere between 40 and 50 minutes, but again, you’ll just need to watch it the first time since loaf pan size and oven temps vary a bit. I find letting it rest in the pan for at least 10 minutes after removing from the oven makes it easier to get out.
This bread is delicious warm, but it’s even better completely cooled – the banana and chocolate flavors both intensify as it sits. I actually really love it refrigerated with a cold glass of milk.
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Blueberry Banana Bread

Found on diethood.com

Blueberry Banana Bread

Vegetarian • 1 hr to make • Makes 1 Loaf

Diethood

Produce

2	Bananas
1 cup	Blueberries, fresh

Refrigerated

1	Egg, whole

Baking & Spices

1 cup	All-purpose flour
1/4 tsp	Baking powder
1/2 tsp	Baking soda
1/2 tsp	Cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp	Salt
1/2 cup	Sugar
1 tsp	Vanilla extract, pure

Dairy

4 tbsp

Butter

Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Puffs

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1 of 17 Photo by Nicole Franzen

The Breakfast Puffs

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature

Cinnamon-sugar coating

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the 1/3 cup butter, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and nutty smelling. Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
2. Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease and lightly flour a 12 cup muffin tin.
3. Add the sugar and egg to the cooled butter. Beat with an electric mixer until all creamed together.
4. In a separate little bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and zest. Add the dry ingredients in increments to the butter-sugar mixture, alternating with the milk and beating well after each addition.
5. Divide the batter evenly into the cups of the muffin tin. Pop into the oven and bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 20-25 minutes.
6. While the puffs are puffing, put the melted butter in one shallow bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another one. When the puffs come out of the oven, use a knife to gently pop them all out of the muffin tin.
7. One by one, dip each puff in the melted butter - get it all over it - then roll it in the cinnamon sugar. Transfer it to some lovely, festive serving platter, and continue until you have rolled all of the puffs. Serve warm - they are by faaaaar the best when they are still warm - with coffee, and mimosas, and other goodies.

Whole Wheat- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Whole Wheat- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

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Whole Wheat- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Yield: One loaf

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour (or white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pure (unsweetened) pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl.
3. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Beat in vanilla and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until evenly moistened. Stir in chocolate chips (reserve a few to sprinkle on top).
4. Pour batter into prepared pan, and sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top. Bake about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove bread from the oven and place it on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, run a table knife around the edges of the pan to make sure the bread isn't sticking, turn it out of the pan, and place it on the rack to finish cooling completely before slicing

Source: RecipeGirl.com (Adapted from KAF Whole Grain Baking)

Spiced Pear Cake with Browned Butter Icing

Spiced Pear Cake with Browned Butter Icing

Oh yeah, see that icing drizzle?  It’s a must… an absolute must.  And you get more bang for your buck with this recipe since it makes TWO cakes

Speaking of bucks, I was at the market the other day checking out things in the baking aisle.  Gold Medal flour was 2 for $5 in my market.  With the holiday season approaching, and knowing that I’m a total baking FREAK in November and December, I stocked up big time.  Yes, the checker looked at me funny when I bought 8 bags of flour in one order!  Gold Medal has new packaging for its flour- you may have noticed some of the colorful bags on the shelves.  For this recipe, I used their Whole Wheat Flour and their Organic All-Purpose Flour.

I opted to make this recipe in two loaf pans because I like to change things up a bit and make cakes in “tea loaf” fashion now and then.  I think it works best for this recipe.  The cake bakes up much like banana bread, but it’s too sweet to call it bread.  So it’s CAKE, my friends.

Here’s the super yummy part:  BROWNED BUTTER ICING.  Do not leave off the icing.  Seriously, don’t do it.  It’s so so so easy to make, and you will want to eat it by the spoonful before you even drizzle it onto the cake.  Not that I’m advocating that or anything, but it certainly gives you a good idea of how delicious this stuff is.

S.P.O.O.K.Y.

A little slice of this cake… with those spiced pears flecked throughout… and just the right amount of browned butter icing drizzled on top… is a perfectly nice dessert for fall (and for the abundance of fresh pears available right now).

So, if you happen to be in a position where you’re considering where the best place to buy a home is for families… check out the cul-de-sacs.  They’re also a good place to be if you need to pawn off food on neighbors as much as I need to.  My neighbors act as good taste-testers, and there are a plethora of little mouths to feed too.  Remember I mentioned that this recipe makes TWO cakes?  Well, that nice neighbor who gave me the pears ended up getting them back again in one of these cakes.  Yep, I gave her a cake.  That happy-neighbor-thing is just kind of sickening to hear, isn’t it?
Well, don’t get too envious of my neighbor situation… there WAS the time that Neighbor C‘s kid sling-shot a rock into the air and it hit the windshield of my parked car and they never offered to pay for the repair… (fyi- those neighbors don’t get any of my goodies, lol!)

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Spiced Pear Cake with Browned Butter Icing

Yield: 2 loaf cakes (12 to 16 servings)

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 60 min

Ingredients:

CAKE:
3 medium to large firm pears, peeled-cored- and chopped
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups Gold Medal® All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Gold Medal® Whole Wheat Flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
BROWNED BUTTER ICING:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar (more or less)
4 to 5 teaspoons boiling hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Arrange your oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 5x8-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the pears with the white and brown sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, oil and applesauce. Whisk in the dry ingredients until they are just mixed in (don't over-mix). Stir in the pears and all of their sweet and spicy juices too. Divide the batter between the two pans. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until the loaves are baked through and test done (toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean). Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.
5. When cake is cool, prepare the icing. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat and stir for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the butter is lightly browned (you will see little flecks of brown throughout the melted butter when it is properly browned). Remove it from the stove and pour it into a bowl. Whisk in 1 cup of the powdered sugar. Add 3 teaspoons of the water and the vanilla. Whisk in more powdered sugar a little at a time until it thick but still pourable (add a teaspoon or two of additional water, if needed). Place paper towels under the rack and drizzle the icing onto the cakes. Serve immediately, or store in a covered container until ready to serve.

Source: RecipeGirl.com

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread                                                      Recipe from Sue Adams

Beat together:
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar

Add and mix:
2 cups grated Zucchini

Add and mix:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon

Add and mix:
1 tsp vanilla

Pour into greased bread pan bake at 325 for 1 hour.  Cool and then wrap in foil.

Sopapillas - New Mexico Sopappilas

Sopapillas - New Mexico Sopappilas
Recipe Type: Quick Bread, Desserts
Cuisine: Southwest
Yields: 2 dozen
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 6 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups warm milk (approximate)
Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Preparation:

 

In a large bowl, blend together the flour baking powder, and salt.

With a pastry cutter (unless you are one of those, like my teachers, who always used their hands) cut in the lard or shortening.

Add the milk all at once, and mix the dough quickly with a fork or by hand until the dough forms a mass.
 

 

 

Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and begin to knead the dough by folding it in half, pushing it down, and folding again. It should take about a dozen folds to form a soft dough that is no longer sticky. 

Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap to let it rest for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Divide the dough in 1/2, keeping the 1/2 you are not working with covered with plastic wrap or a towel so it does not dry out. 

 

 

 

 

Roll the dough half you have chosen on a floured board with gentle strokes. Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. The more you work the dough, the tougher your sopapilla will turn out. However, to keep a sopapilla well puffed after cooking, you may want to work the dough a minute or so longer.

Cut the dough into rectangles that are about 10-inch by 5-inch. Divide the triangle into a 5-inch squares, and then cut this into a triangle. NOTE: If you find the dough beginning to dry as you work with the remainder, cover this loosely with a some plastic wrap. 

Do not attempt to reform and roll the leftover dough scraps. They do not roll out well on the second try. You can cook these dough scraps along with the others, and they taste just as good.

 

 

Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet or a deep fryer until the oil reaches about 400 degrees F. NOTE: Check the temperature of the oil with your digital cooking thermometer.

Carefully slide the first sopapilla into the hot oil. Submerge the sopapilla under the oil. It should begin to puff immediately.

NOTE: Sopapillas - They either puff or they don’t puff. Their puff is what makes it a sopapilla - but don’t despair as both can be eaten. If your sopapillas are not puffing properly, the temperature of the oil may need to be increased or decreased. Environmental changes in temperature and altitude can make setting the temperature tricky at times.

 

Using a slotted spoon, turn the sopapilla over to brown the other side. Sometimes this can be difficult, as the sopapilla will want to stay on the side it was on. A little coaxing with your slotted spatula will help this. Hold it for only a moment, and it will adjust to the side it is on. Once both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side, are browned, remove the sopapilla to a surface to drain (paper towels or a draining rack will both work).

Sopapillas can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Makes approximately 2 dozen Sopapillas.

Breadsticks

Ingredients:

Servings:

16

Units: US | Metric

• 4 cups flour
• 1 ¹⁄₃; cups water
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• garlic powder

Directions:

1. In your stand mixer combine 1 1/3 cup warm water, 4 tsp butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp yeast.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Then add 4 cups flour mix well and let rise.
2. Divide it into 16 peices.
3. Cover and let rise until doubled about 45 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
5. Melt remaining 2 tsp butter in a bowl and thinly brush the breadsticks once.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Brush with butter again and top with garlic powder to your liking.

Scones

Scones

Dissolve 1 Tblspn yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and 1 Tblspn sugar. 

Mix 1/3 cup powdered milk with 2 1/2 cups flour. 

Add 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

Add 1 cup warm water

1/2 cube butter melted

1 egg

Yeast mixture

Add additional 1 1/4 cup flour as needed. 

Let raise. 

Can put in fridge and use as desired. When deep-frying, take small balls and pat and stretch thin. 

1 batch makes about 25.

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 12-14 minutes
Makes: 20-24 biscuits

2 cups  all-purpose flour, plus some for the table and shaping
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
2.6 ounces old cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine. With your fingers, two forks or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until thoroughly distributed. Mix in cheese. Add the buttermilk and gently mix until loose, fairly moist dough forms, and then turn on to a floured surface.

When the dough is ready, transfer to the work surface. It will be fairly moist. Don't panic and add more flour. When it's placed on the floured surface and shaped with your floured hands, it will attain the perfect consistency.

Lightly flour your hands and then gently knead and shape the dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a 1-inch thick disc. Cut the dough into rounds with 2-inch cookie or biscuit cutter and set them on a non-stick or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Knead and press the ends of dough together and cut them into biscuits as well.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with beaten egg. Bake in the middle of the oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Lion House Dinner Rolls

Photo by RobinS Smith

1 Photo of Lion House Dinner Rolls

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/lion-house-dinner-rolls-103547#ixzz1YDkxfTKK

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
• 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
• 2 tablespoons dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup butter, shortening, or margarine
• 1 egg
• 5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour

Method:

In large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand). Add about ½ cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour). Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil all around sides of bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. (This helps prevent dough from drying out). Cover with plastic and allow to rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.
Scrape dough out onto floured board. Turn dough over so it is floured on both sides; gently flatten to about 1 inch thick. With rolling pin, roll out to a rectangle about 18 inches long, 8 inches wide, and ¼ inch thick. Brush with melted butter. With pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut dough in half to make two strips about 4 inches wide. Make cuts through strips of dough every 2 inches, making about 18 pieces of dough.
Starting with short end, roll up one piece of dough, with butter on the inside. Place roll on parchment-lined pan with other short end down on the paper. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Be sure all rolls face the same direction on baking pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light to medium golden brown. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. Serve with Honey Butter. Makes 1 to 1 ½ dozen rolls.
Helpful Tips for Making Rolls
Always add flour gradually and keep dough as soft as you can handle. A soft dough will produce a lighter roll.
It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour called for in the recipe—add only enough flour to make dough manageable.
To shorten dough's rising time, use one of these methods:
1) When dough is thoroughly mixed, oil bowl and cover dough with plastic wrap. Fill sink or larger bowl with about 2 inches of hot water or enough water to come about half or three-fourths the way up outside the dough bowl. Place bowl of dough in bowl of water and allow to rise until double in size.
2) Just before mixing dough, turn oven on lowest possible temperature. Place a pan of hot water on bottom oven rack. When dough is thoroughly mixed, place in oiled bowl. Cover dough with plastic wrap; place in oven. Turn oven off, shut oven door, and allow dough to rise until double in size, about 50 to 60 minutes. Shape or cut into desired rolls. Place rolls on greased or parchment-lined pans and allow to rise until double in size. Bake according to recipe.
Brush top of rolls with butter when first taken from oven.
How to consistently make attractive, good-tasting rolls? Practice! Practice! Practice!

Honey Butter

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup honey

Method:

Whip softened butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and honey gradually. Beat for 20 minutes. Makes 1 cup.