Fruit & Nut Bread

Hi, couldn't stay away from the oven! Made some delicious bread today. I did change the add ins because I didn't have the called for ingredients.

Definately try this bread. It is moist and delicious. It's not overly sweet either.

This recipe came from www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup candied mixed fruit
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Directions:
1.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2.
Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat smooth. Stir in milk, vanilla, and almond flavoring.
3.
In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in fruit, raisins, and nuts. Add all at once to first bowl. Stir only to moisten. Turn into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
4.
Bake for 1 hour in 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven until it tests done. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool and wrap.

Potato Pie

Have you ever heard of a mashed potato pie?! Am I the only one in the world who thinks that's a disgusting thought? I had visions of another flop. Come on, really, mashed potato pie?!

Surprisingly, the pie turned out fine. I did have to do some substituting. I didn't want to buy booze so substituted lemon juice for the booze and vanilla. I also left out the nutmeg. I hate nutmeg. No nuts either. Frankly, I didn't want to use too many good ingredients just in case it was a flop. I also didn't want to make a pie shell for that reason; so I bought a graham cracker one.

Everything went together fine, I just couldn't get all the lumps out of the pie filling with the mixer.

This pie tastes just like a custard pie. I actually hate custard pies, but my husband likes them and he gave it a thumbs up.

So if you're up for something out of the ordinary, give it a try.

http://havethecake.blogspot.com/2011/02/march-challenge-irish-potato-pie.html

Irish Potato Pierecipe from http://www.almanac.com/recipe/irish-potato-pie Yield: 8 to 10 servings

3 eggs

2 cups half-and-half or light cream

2 cups mashed potatoes (whipped smooth with no lumps) I'm assuming they mean without milk or butter... that's what I did any way.

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Irish whiskey, brandy, or sherry (optional)

1 unbaked 10-inch deep-dish pie shell with high fluted edge

Freshly grated nutmeg

Toasted slivered almonds

DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350°F

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs slightly. Stir in the half-and-half or cream, potatoes, sugar, vanilla, salt, and liquor (if using). Beat well until smooth.

Cover the fluted edge of the pie shell with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning. Pour the filling into the shell and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 to 18 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle the almonds around the outer edge and dust with additional nutmeg. Serve at room temperature; store in the refrigerator.

Lemon Loaf

Hi!

It's another chilly morning here.

Before I set out to do my errands, I thought I post the loaf I made. They call it a loaf, but I don't know if it's a bread or a cake. Tastes like a combo to me. I didn't care for it. The crumb was kinda coarse. It did bake up into a pretty loaf. The lemon syrup was good though, don't leave that off. The loaf really needs it. You can see in the picture where the syrup had soaked up into the loaf. We did end up eating it all, but we put strawberries in syrup over our slices! Who wouldn't it that!?

That said, I wouldn't make this again.

the recipe is from :http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2011/03/lemon-loaves.html

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
lemon zest from 4 large lemons
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup sour milk (1 teaspoon lemon juice put in a 1 cup measuring cup and filled with milk to 3/4 cup and allowed to sit for 5 minutes)

Lemon Syrup
1/2 sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice

Lemon Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
the remaining lemon juice and enough water to make a thin glaze

Preheat oven to 350 F and spray two 7 1/2 X 4 X 2 loaf pans with cooking spray and line the bottom and two long sides with parchment paper.

Sift together the dry ingredients onto a piece of parchment paper for quick clean up or into a bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until very light. .several minutes for sure.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined and then the lemon zest.
Combine the wet ingredients and them alternating with the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture until just combined.

Divide the mixture between the two loaf pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.. .about 45 - 50 minutes.
While the cake bakes, simmer the syrup ingredients together for just a minute or so until the sugar melts.

When the toothpick comes out clean of the lemon loaf. Put the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.

Brush the syrup over all the sides of the loaves until all the syrup has been used up.
Allow to cool completely and make the glaze while you are waiting.
Drizzle the glaze over the loaves and allow it to set.

Bran Muffins

Hi, hope you're keeping warm. It's cold today! Brrrr!

Had a hankerin' for some muffins so I baked some bran muffins. I had some All Bran cereal I needed to use up. No one likes it for breakfast.

These muffins were supposed to be regular sized, but I made 6 jumbo muffins instead. I think it took about 27 minutes to bake at 375. I was surprised at how little they rose. But that didn't seem to affect the texture. They weren't dense.

They are good. The only change I made in the recipe was that I added 1/2 cup peanut butter chips. It was all I had. I didn't have any dried fruit or I would have put that in.

They turned out fine. Not dry or overly sweet. I would definately make these again.

Enjoy.

classic bran muffins ( from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
Directions:
1.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2.
Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.
3.
Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Fold in raisins and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
4.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Melting Moments

Hi, again.

I've been baking, but not blogging. I keep forgeting to post my items. Today I baked a shortbread cookie called Melting Moments. It is from the website Joyofbaking.com. I love, love, love Mexican wedding cookies so I assumed I'd like these too. Melting moments are not as good. I miss the flavor the ground nuts add. The cookies were very tender and quite crumbly. They are supposed to be rolled in confectioners sugar when they are done baking. I did that with some of them, but wanted to add some flavor in the second batch, so I sprinkled cinnamon on them. That didn't do too much for the cookies. I think I'd stick with the powdered sugar.
Anyway, here's the recipe, but I am not advocating baking these. Stick with the Mexican wedding cookies. They are classics for a reason.



Melting Moments


1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (30 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing)
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping:
1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing)



In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth (about 2 minutes).

Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.


Cover and refrigerate the batter for an hour or two, or until firm.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.


When batter is firm, form into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.

Bake for about 10 - 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies just start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-5 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack that is placed over a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Put the confectioners sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the sugar.


These cookies store very well. Place in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper and they will keep a couple of weeks. If desired, just before serving, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with confectioners sugar.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Romeo & Juliet Cake

Hey, am I the only one who has never heard of a Romeo & Juliet cake? That was the cake for the month of February in the Have the Cake baking group.

I made it, but didn't enjoy it. I thought the cake was tough and the crumb was coarse. Also, it called for guava paste, which in this little Mississippi town, was virtually impossible to find. I had to substitute Smuckers guava jam.

At first I worried about a cake with cheese in it, but there is absolutely no taste of cheese.

I'm sorry to say, I wouldn't bake this cake again.

Here is the recipe I used. It was posted on Have the Cake's blog.


3 large eggs
200g sugar
200g flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp baking powder
20g grated parmesan cheese
200ml milk
40ml oil
Topping
300g goiabada cubed (guava paste)
water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 22cm round pan. Sift the flour, cornstarch and baking powder. Set aside.
Beat the eggs with sugar for 10 minutes in high speed. Beat for more 2 minutes in slow speed. Fold in the sifted ingredients. Mix in 1/4 of batter the oil. Fold in the remaining batter and mix the grated parmesan.
Spoon into the pan and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Cover with goiabada.
Topping
Melt the goiabada with water. Let boil, stirring until reduce. Let cool slightly and cover the cake.
Serve: 8 portions.

february challenge

RECIPE and ABOVE PIC FROM TALITHA"S BLOG
3 large eggs
200g sugar
200g flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp baking powder
20g grated parmesan cheese
200ml milk
40ml oil
Topping
300g goiabada cubed (guava paste)
water

DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 22cm round pan. Sift the flour, cornstarch and baking powder. Set aside.Beat the eggs with sugar for 10 minutes in high speed. Beat for more 2 minutes in slow speed. Fold in the sifted ingredients. Mix in 1/4 of batter the oil. Fold in the remaining batter and mix the grated parmesan.Spoon into the pan and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Cover with goiabada.ToppingMelt the goiabada with water. Let boil, stirring until reduce. Let cool slightly and cover the cake.Serve: 8 portions.