Commonplace

Fruited Pumpkin Bread

This recipe comes from Sunset Magazine and is a bit different from most other pumpkin breads I've made. It's a little spicy and includes mashed banana for extra fruity flavor.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground nutmet
3/4 cup (1/4 lb. plus 1/4 cup) butter or margarine, at rooom temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup each canned pumpkin and mashed ripe banana
1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or dates

Instructions
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; then stir in pumpkin and banana. Add flour mixture and stir just until dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Stir in walnuts.

Spread batter evenly in two greased, floured loaf pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven until a wooden skewer inserted in centers of loaves comes out clean (about one hour).

Let bread cool in pans on racks for about five minutes; then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Thanks for playing along with me on Project Quick-Bread. Now the work begins. This weekend my plan is to make many many loaves of the recipes I've posted this month and the gift giving begins. My thought is that each gift will contain three mini loaves. I'm a little stumped about how to present them cleverly. Jessica suggested baking boxes, which I like, but need to locate and don't want to spend too much money on. If anyone has any thoughts, please share them — I'm open.

From the weird files:

This is a blanket with sleeves. It's called a Snuggie and Jake wants one for Hanukkah. No way am I purchasing one of these but since I've never seen one in person I'm having some trouble figuring out how to make it. Anyone?

We're in snow day mode here and this Mama can't wait. My plans involve taking Quinn for his first snow walk and serving hot cocoa to Jake while he sits at the kitchen table in his long johns and wet clothes dry on the heater — pink cheeks all around. I'm heading into the garage now to look for the sled. If I'm not back in a few hours, send in the troops!

Oh, one more thing: happy birthday Niall. I love you.

Stay-On Toddler Hat (and My Favorite Banana Bread)

Quinn is against hats. (He doesn't much care for shoes either, but that's a different post.) So I knit a pilot-style cap thinking that a tie at the chin would be enough. Wrong. Enter necessity, the mother of invention.

(It's hard to take a photo of an unsteady, newly-walking toddler.)

I'm calling this an Astronaut Hat and so far his objections have been limited. Here's a link to the pattern if you're so inclined. I've written it in two sizes 'cause that's just the kinda gal I am.

On to Project Quick-Bread.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to quick breads. There is oil or shortening as a 'wet' base or a dairy (i.e. buttermilk or yogurt) ingredient. After years of trying different recipes I've concluded that for my money, sour cream is the way to go in a banana bread. You can't beat the moistness and it adds just the right kick. As loathe as I am to admit it, Martha Stewart's recipe has become my go-to. And without further ado I give you my favorite banana bread recipe:

Oven:
350 degrees

Yield:
1 loaf

Ingredients:
1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (about three bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I leave these out)

Instructions:
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well. Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with butter mixture. Add the bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Stir in nuts if using. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (about one hour). Turn out loaf onto cooling rack.

Tomorrow: Fruited Pumpkin Bread

And Now, Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

So last night my husband (not so) gently said "Honey, this carrot raisin bread recipe posted on your blog is getting old. Don't you need to post something new?" Truth is: I'm not much for the holiday season and I often try and glide through it without actually acknowledging it's occurrence. I was kind of afraid to admit that here to you my festive, holiday-loving friends but couldn't think of a way to post at this time of year without acknowledging it. After years of considering why I feel this way, my conclusion is that it comes from growing up in a household where Christmas wasn't celebrated (if you've been reading for a while, you know I'm Jewish). On some level I always felt left out and a teeny tiny bit resentful. Over time I've reconciled it and found ways to participate in the spirit of the season, but my general distaste for the commercialism of the holiday has remained. We do what we can to "put the Christ back in Christmas" as it were, but that's all the more difficult when you don't actually celebrate Christmas.

So, that's why I dropped off the face of blog-land. And thanks to those of you who checked in on me. I'm probably going to hold my breath until January at which point I plan to come up for air and be really really cheerful. In the meantime, let's rejoin our quick bread project already in progress.

Today's recipe comes to us courtesy of Andrea from The Little Collection. This is her Orange Nut Bread recipe. Thanks Andrea.

Oven: 350 degrees
Yield: one loaf

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups unsifted flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons water
1 cup chopped nuts (Andrea's mom used walnuts, but she prefers pecans)

Instructions:
Grease and sugar a standard loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, butter, orange juice, zest and water.
Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir to combine. Add nuts and incorporate.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about one hour). Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Carrot-Raisin Quick-Bread

This one is just a cake in bread's clothing.

Oven: 350 degrees
Yield: Two loaves

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons
3 eggs
1/4 molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded carrot
3/4 cup golden raisins (or walnuts or both)

Directions
Sift dry ingredients into a medium bowl
In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs, molasses and vanilla. Add shredded carrot and raisins and mix to combine. Pour dry ingredients into carrot mixture and stir until combined. Pour batter into two prepared loaf pans and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (about an hour).

I've always thought that this one would be delicious with a cream cheese frosting...
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
Mix all ingredients together EXCEPT the sugar until well combined
Add sugar slowly and beat until light and very fluffy

Project Quick-Bread: Buttermilk Cinnamon Loaf

I can't remember where this recipe comes from. It's printed on a yellowed ragged torn piece of newsprint that lives in the front of my recipe journal. It's simple delicious goodness.

Ingredients

4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla

For cinnamon swirl:
2  tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions

In a medium bowl, sift dry ingredients together and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Stir in dry mixture and buttermilk alternately just until combined. Divide one-third of mixture between two greased loaf pans.

Mix together swirl ingredients and pour a light dusting over each loaf. Swirl through batter with a knife.

Add remainder of batter divided into both loaf pans. Sprinkle swirl over top of loafs but don't mix into batter.

Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only moist crumbs attached (about an hour).

I've always meant to try this with a delicious glaze drizzled over the top. Maybe maple-sugar or a simple buttermilk glaze... but I always eat it before I can bother.

V over at Bumble beans (one of the most talented and creative quilters I know) posted her favorite Pumpkin Bread recipe as part of Project Quick-Bread. Thanks V!

Tomorrow's recipe: Carrot Raisin Loaf.

Project Quick-Bread: Cranberry Orange Loaf

The list of people who touch my daily life has increased tremendously since I had my second child last year: teachers, bus drivers, babysitters. Conversely, the time I have available for making gifts has diminished exponentially. As much as I would like to make fingerless gloves for Jake's guitar teacher a neck warmer for his vocal instructor and a tote bag for Quinn's babysitter (the actual list is well into the double digits) I know my limitations. I'm not knitting or sewing for anyone this year. The pleasure of the crafting is completely lost in the rush to meet the deadline.

But I can bake.

I'm thinking about lovely little packages of mini quick-breads. Some of my favorites are: cinnamon-buttermilk; pumpkin; classic bannana and cranberry-orange. Over the next little bit I'll post one recipe each day (although I don't promise a photo every day). I'd love to try some of your favorites as well. If you have a great recipe for a quick-bread that you'd like to share, comment here or send me an email and I'll complile a list. I'll link to your blog (if you'd like) and/or post the recipe here.

I'll start today with Natalie's Cranberry-Orange bread.

Ingredients
1 Package of cranberries
6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 navel oranges, zested
6 ounces water
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease two 9x5 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan
mix juice zest and water and set aside
cream shortening and sugar, add eggs
sift dry ingredients together
add juice mixture to shortening mixture
slowly add dry ingredients to juice and shortening mixture just until combined
gently fold in cranberries
pour into prepared pan(s)
bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about 45 minutes)