A nod to our Scottish heritage with this traditional Scottish tea loaf. I used an orange cinnamon herbal tea and added chopped dried apricots and pecans.
The recipe includes an optional glaze. I don’t like my breads too sweet, so I usually leave it off, or serve it on the side for those who want the extra sweetness.
This bread is delicious served warm or cold and spread with cream cheese.
RECIPE: Continue reading
Filed under Breads, Breakfast/Brunch
One final zucchini recipe before summer leaves us for good.
Three kinds of chocolate (Nutella, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips) make the zucchini hard to spot in this delicious quick bread. But the added vegetable helps to keep the loaves soft and moist. And it lets you pretend this is a healthy treat.
This recipe make one regular-sized loaf or 6 mini loaves, which freeze perfectly and are just the right size for when there are only two of us left at home.
RECIPE: Continue reading
Zucchini bread is always the favorite option for an excess of garden squash in the summer.
Chocolate chips are optional. I prefer it without, but many in our family like a generous studding of chocolate chips in their zucchini bread.
RECIPE:
Filed under Breads, Breakfast/Brunch
DAY 12 : Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
A delicious quick bread that makes great gifts for friends and neighbors. It is also great spread with a little cream cheese before eating.
Dollar stores and Michaels often sell cute Christmas mini-loaf pans that you can bake these in. Then you can give the cute little pan to neighbors along with the bread.
RECIPE:
Yield: 2 regular loaves or 5-6 mini-loaves
4 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (16oz) pumpkin puree
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two regular loaf pans (or 6-8 mini loaf pans), or spray with Baking Pam.
Beat eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and pumpkin until well mixed.
Whisk together flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chopped cranberries and walnuts.
Spoon batter into prepared pans. Fill mini loaf pans about 2/3 full.
For regular loaf pans: bake for 60 minutes
For mini-loaf pans: bake for 35-45 minutes
Bake until top of loaf springs back when touched gently (or toothpick comes out clean). Check bread after about 30 minutes: cover loosely with foil if it is beginning to brown too quickly.
NoEmptyChairs.me
Filed under Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts
DAY 8: Cranberry Orange Bread
Another non-cookie recipe, but this comes at the request of my brother-in-law. Now he just needs to buy himself a plane ticket from Seattle to Baltimore so that he can eat some with us!
Cranberries and oranges are one of my favorite holiday flavor combinations. Which is why I also love these Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Cookies:
Cranberry Orange Bread makes a great neighbor gift, especially when you find these adorable small loaf pans in the dollar section of Michaels!
RECIPE:
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
½ brown sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup orange juice
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour, divided
2 tsp baking powder
¼tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup buttermilk (or additional orange juice)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
(do not thaw cranberries before chopping)
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, optional
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or use baking Pam): 1 large loaf pan, or 3-4 small loaf pans, or 6 mini loaf pans.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Mix in ¼ cup orange juice, orange peel and vanilla. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl and mix until just combined. Mix in buttermilk (or additional orange juice). Mix in remaining 1 cup flour until just combined. Fold in cranberries and nuts.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.
Baking times (check doneness with a toothpick in center of loaf):
Large loaf pan: 60-80 minutes
Small loaf pans: 45-60 minutes
Mini loaf pans: 25-35 minutes
**NOTE: If you use frozen cranberries, baking times will be on the higher end of the range. Cover bread with foil if the top begins to brown before center is cooked.
Cool for 10 minutes in pan and then remove to a rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing.
NoEmptyChairs.me
Pumpkin Zucchini Bread: where summer and autumn collide in a great tasting snack. This is a great way to use an over-abundance of zucchini from your garden (or local farmers’ market) and incorporate the great fall flavors of pumpkin and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.
You can also make these in muffin form for a delicious on-the-go breakfast or lunch box treat. There is no easier way to get your kids to eat their veges. Chocolate chips are optional, but always appreciated (unless you are a certain son of mine).
RECIPE:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups canned pumpkin
2 cups shredded zucchini
½ cup butter, melted
1 Tbs vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (or cloves)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, optional
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 medium loaf pans.
Combine eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add pumpkin, zucchini, melted butter and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture and stir until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into 2 loaf pans.
Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
FOR MUFFINS: Line muffin pans with paper liners (or grease pan). Bake at 375°F for 15-18 minutes.
NoEmptyChairs.me
Filed under Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts
Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies
Ninja-bread Men
Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints
Coconut Macaroons
Christmas Fortune Cookies
Oreo Truffles
Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies
Sugar Cookie Bars
Stained Glass Cookies
Almond Toffee Sandies
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