Zucchini Bread

Well, I've picked the last zucchini from our garden--it's done now.  Can you believe that I have NOT made zucchini bread this summer?  Especially since there was such an abundance of this vegetable.  Therefore, it was time, time for zucchini bread.

I've searched a lot of recipes and most of them call for a huge amount of oil, up to three cups in some recipes.  Then, I found the perfect recipe--only 1/2 cup of oil.  So how can it be so moist?  Well, there is also 1/2 cup of applesauce.  I think that's the secret.

So here's my version of the recipe from AFamilyFeast.com.  I reduced the amount of sugar and also the amount of vanilla.  For the flour, I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half unbleached flour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two 8" x 4" loaf pans with parchment paper (spray the pans with coconut oil or PAM then line with the parchment).

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups zucchini grated (can use as little as 2 cups and as much as 4 cups)
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil (I used light olive oil)
3 cups flour (I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half unbleached white flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar

Mix together in separate bowls, the wet ingredients, and the dry ingredients.  Then add the wet to the dry mixing just until combined, don't over mix.  Fold in the zucchini.

Pour half the batter into each of the loaf pans.  Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

After the bread is completely cool, slice and serve with softened butter, real butter!

Enjoy Friends!

Banana Bread

I always buy too many bananas and as a result, end up with some over ripe bananas.  

Oh well, that's a great excuse to make banana bread, right?

This recipe is from Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar (I used 3/4 Cup)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 325° F. Butter a 9x5x3" loaf pan.
• 2
  Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• 3
  In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• 4
  Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.
• 5
  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.
• 
  

Source: M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger

Enjoy friends!

Banana Applesauce Muffins

I've been wanting to try the whole wheat pastry flour that I bought the other day.  I've come across some recipes calling for this type of flour, so when I saw it in the grocery store I had to buy it.  You probably have all the ingredients for these muffins on hand, so let's get cooking!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

1 ripe banana
1/2 cup sugar (I used less)
1 small container applesauce
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tbls. baking powder
1/2 tsp.baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mash the banana, then stir in the sugar.  Add all the other ingredients except the flour, mix well, add the flour last and stir just until flour is incorporated.  Fill the muffin tin/paper liners 2/3 full,
(I used an ice cream scoop.)  Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Tender, moist and delicious.  You really don't need an entire 1/2 cup of sugar, the fruit is sweet on its own.  Smear with some butter and enjoy friends!

Apple Pie Muffins

My most recent favorite blog is "My Baking Addition" 

This is a recipe from Jamie's muffin collection.

Gather the ingredients and let's start baking!  :)

ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups peeled, chopped Granny Smith Apples

FOR THE TOPPING

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 cup muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups flour, pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon), baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla and 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved.

3. Pour butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in apples. Use a large scoop to fill each muffin well, filling the cups to the top.

4. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup rolled oats, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of melted butter, mixing until well blended. Sprinkle this over the tops of the muffins.

5. Bake in preheated oven (375 degrees F.) for 25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.  Or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool on wire rack. Store at room temperature.

These are yummy!  Just a tip given in the recipe, don't chop your apples too small, you want to taste bits of apple when you bite into this delicious muffin!

How can you go wrong with butter, sugar, and buttermilk?

You will want a cup of coffee ready to go with!  Enjoy friends!

Cinnamon Waffles with Caramelized Apples--Williams & Sonoma Kitchen

This recipe is from Williams and Sonoma--my new favorite website for cooking and recipes! These waffles are super delicious!  We had them last Sunday for brunch along with scrambled eggs, sausage, and fruit.  The recipe takes a while, but is well worth it!

Ingredients:

·                                 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, plus 8 Tbs. (1 stick) melted butter

·                                 6 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices

·                                 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar

·                                 1 tsp. cornstarch

·                                 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

·                                 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

·                                 3/4 tsp. salt

·                                 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

·                                 3 eggs, separated

·                                 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

·                                 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

·                                 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

·                                 1 tsp. baking soda

·                                 Whipped cream for serving

Directions:

In a fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the 3 Tbs. butter. When the foaming subsides, add the apples, the 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. of the nutmeg and 1/4 tsp. of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the sugar mixture becomes syrupy, about 18 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 tsp. of the vanilla. Cover the caramelized apples to keep warm until ready to serve.

Preheat a waffle maker on medium-high heat according to the manufacturer's instructions. Preheat an oven to 200°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, the 8 Tbs. melted butter and the remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, the 1/3 cup sugar, and the remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and whisk until smooth.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1 cup of the whites into the batter, then carefully fold in the remaining whites.

Pour about 1/3 cup batter into each well of the waffle maker and close the lid. Cook until the waffles are golden brown and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the waffles to a wire rack set on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat to cook the remaining batter.

Serve the waffles hot with the caramelized apples and whipped cream. Makes twelve 4-inch square waffles.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen