Bread Bonanza!

So, I had a request to post some bread recipes for the holiday season. Two of these are regulars that I make all the time and two are new ones that I just came up with for this purpose. I love quick breads because they are easy to make, perfect for freezing, and make excellent gifts! I have fun playing around with the ingredients to get just the right flavor! And, my little children love them so they are great for pulling out of the freezer now and then for breakfast!

Cranberry Orange Bread with a Citrus Glaze

(I created this recipe from a basic muffin recipe out of the book Mad About Muffins.)

2 cups flour

1 tbls baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup orange marmalade

2 tbls fresh orange juice

zest of one orange (about 1 tbls)

1 cup Craisins (dried cranberries)

Combine the dry ingredients; add the remaining items and mix just until blended. Pour into prepared loaf pans and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Makes 3 mini loaves or probably 1 large loaf if you prefer.

Glaze

fresh squeezed orange juice

powdered sugar

lemon zest to taste

Squeeze the remaining juice from the orange you used and add powder sugar until you get the consistency you like. I wanted something to freshen it up so I added lemon zest until it tasted just right. It's not rocket science, really, just a preference of taste. I would have preferred orange zest but I was only able to track down one orange, so I improvised!

a> Zucchini Carrot Bread

(adapted from Kitchen Keepsakes)

As is often the case when I bake, I cannot leave well enough alone, so this next recipe I added a little something extra to help use up some of my garden produce. Both the zucchini and the carrots came from my garden.

3 eggs, well beaten

2 cups sugar

3 tsp vanilla

1 cup oil

2 cups shredded zuccini, unpeeled

1 cup shredded carrot

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

(I often add a cup of shredded coconut or apple as well)

Beat eggs until fluffy; add sugar, vanilla, and oil. Stir in the zucchini and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until blended together. Fold in coconut or apple if you wish. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans, either 2 large or 5 mini, and bake at 350 for about an hour.

Green Tomato Bread
(This recipe is a real treat, but I cannot take credit for it. A friend of mine passed this along to me, which came from her mom, when she had an abundance of green tomatoes. I truly look forward to the end of tomato season just for this reason!)

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

1 tbls cinnamon

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup oil

1 tbls vanilla

2 cups finely chopped or ground green tomatoes (I use my food processor)

Combine the dry ingredients; add the remaining items except tomatoes, being sure to stir just until moistened. It will be thick until you add the tomatoes. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans, 2 large or perhaps 4 mini, and bake at 350 for about an hour.

Pumpkin Pear Bread

(This is another recipe that I adapted from a book, called Too Many Cooks, and it is super delicious! Perfect for the holiday season!)

1 cup oil

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup water

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup grated pear (from my mom's tree!)

Mix oil, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Blend in water, spices, pear and pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Pour into prepared loaf pans, 1 large or 2 mini, and bake at 350 for about an hour for large pans, 30-40 minutes for mini loaves.

I wanted to show you what I did to get as much of the glaze onto the loaves as I could. When you glaze things, much of the first and second coats end up on the wax paper under the food, rather than on it. So, I decided to scrape all the fallen glaze into the center of the wax paper sheet, fold it up and pour the remaining glaze onto the loaves. I did this about three times, moving the cooling rack with the loaves on it between two pieces of wax paper. Tedious, maybe, but that glaze was GOOD!

Besides, it left a really cool design on the wax paper :-)
You probably noticed that I use mini loaf pans a lot. I find that I get a better product in less time, because it cooks all the way through. When I use a large loaf pan, I always feel unsure about the doneness of the bread. Also, mini loaves are perfect sizes for gifts or a quick snack.

I have two more recipes I want to share, but haven't gotten around to baking them yet. But keep your eyes peeled, cause I'm sure to do some baking during this stormy weather comin' our way here in the Pacific Northwest :-))