Pumpkin Spice bread

I know we're just barely into summer, but I can only take about a week of 100 degree weather and then I am decidedly ready for Fall.  I was craving Fall and craving pumpkin bread and I even got so lucky that on the day I made this it got all cloudy and rained, even if it was still 90+ with now added humidity; indoors it felt and smelt of fall.  Makes 2 loaves plus several muffins too.

Pumpkin Spice Bread
Food.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. in a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, water, vegetable oil and eggs.
3. Beat until well mixed.
4. Measure the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves into a separate bowl and stir until combined.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, beating until smooth.
6. Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans and dust with flour.
7. Evenly divide the batter between the two pans.
8. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove from pans by inverting onto a rack and tapping the bottoms.
10. Slice and serve plain, buttered, or with cream cheese.

Raisin Nut Bran Cereal Muffins

My mom used to make these when we were kids and they were always a hit wit us, smothered in butter of course.  I searched out the recipe and made them for the first time myself, just as yummy for breakfast or snack as I had remembered.

Raisin Nut Bran Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups Raisin Nut Bran Cereal
1 cup milk
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400.  Line muffin pan with paper baking cups.  Mix cereal and milk in large bowl.  Let stand until cereal is softened, about 5 minutes.  Beat in oil and egg.  Mix in remaining ingredients just until moistened.  Divided batter between cups and bake about 18-23 muffins or until toothpick comes out clean.

Sour Cream Banana Bread

• I had such success with this recipe and baking experience. First off, parchment paper. Why have I never used this product before!? Cookies, cakes, brownies, bread- I am never going back. Nothing sticks, you take it off, throw it away and are left with a clean baking dish and beautifully presentable baked good. I am totally converted and suggest you all join. I attribute the fact that, for the first time ever, I was able to get banana bread that wasn't at all overcooked on the sides, to the parchment paper. This banana bread was perfect. So moist on the inside, had a great flavor where the banana was significantly present and though so tasty drenched in margarine, didn't need it in the slightest. I've made several banana bread recipes in the past that haven't been the one. I chose this one because it had such high ratings and I needed to use up some sour cream. Great choice and I think it will be my go to banana bread recipe from now on.
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• Sour Cream Banana Bread
• recipezaar.com
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• 1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed banana, I used 3 nice, dark ones
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (omit if you don't like nuts)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Grease loaf pan or not if using parchment paper.

Cream margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients, then bananas then nuts and sour cream.

Mix well.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. (my oven required 10 extra minutes)

Pita Bread

Now this recipe was a pretty basic one that I found all over the internet when trying to compare, the only significant differences were in how many steps or how much rising time, etc required. This one in particular had lots of rising time, lots of steps. This should be started in the morning if you want it ready for dinner or made a day ahead as I probably wold do next time.

Pita Bread

Annie's Eats

For 8 pitas

3 cups flour, plus 1/2-3/4 cups more as needed

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar or honey

1 packet instant yeast

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup water, roughly at room temp

2 Tbsp. olive oil, veg. oil or shortening

Mix yeast in with the flour, salt and sugar. Add oil and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a woek surface, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes. As the dough is mixing, continue to add flour, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and is tacky but not sticky. ( I added about 1/2 cup extra flour).

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coted with oil. Form a ball out of the dough and plce it into the bowl, rolling the dough around so it is fully coated in the oil. Cover the bwl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it will be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450°. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while it is preheating. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between ¼ – 1/8” thick – 6 inches in diameter. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently, you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5-10 minutes before trying again.

Place discs on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment paper and let rise, uncovered, until barely doubled in thickness, about 30-45 minutes.

Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, but it isn’t necessary.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Lots of chocolate and lightly banana flavored.  I actually made this recipe into cupcakes for the picnic and they turned out great.  I do look forward to making this in bread form next time since I think the density will make it even more moist.  Here is a link to a picture of the bread.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

The Sister's Cafe

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (about 3 and the browner, the better)

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch process suggested)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips ( I used Gittard brand milk chocolate because they are so yummy and they are also double the size of a normal chocolate chip)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray bottom of 8x4 loaf pan with cooking spray.

beat sugar, eggs, and oil in lrg. bowl at med speed until combined.  Beat in bananas and vanilla at low speed.  Combine flour, cocoa, soda and salt in a med bowl: beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combines.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake 60 to 70 minutes (about 10 minutes if making cupcakes) or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool ten minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely or wire rack.

Boston Market Cornbread

I was so happy to find this copycat recipe because Boston Market has my favorite cornbread.  It is os moist and lightly sweet and I love the little peices of whole corn in them.  I usually make it into muffins and freeze them since it makes a ton (36 muffins).  This time I made them for our ward chili cook off last night since it was a great excuse not to have my freezer filled up with them.

Boston Market Cornbread

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread muffin mix

1 box butter recipe cake mix

5 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter softened

15 oz can creamed corn

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all dry ingredients together in large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Pour into greased cupcake pans or mini loaves.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool slightly in the pan.  remove and serve warm (with honey butter!)

Blitz Bread

Blitz Bread

from My Kitchen Cafe

I've never made bread of any kind before, but this sounded easy enough and it looked like one of our favorite restaurant breads, the peasant loaf at Macaroni Grill. I haven't eaten there in awhile but we think it turned out pretty close especially when dipped in balsamic and olive oil. I did have to let my bread rise for two hours rather than the recipe's 1hr (I think because it's dryer out here.)

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 Tbs Olive Oil, divided

1 1/4 tsp salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1 Tbs instant yeast

1/2 tsp garlic salt

3 tsp dried herb blend for sprinkling(oregan, basil, parsley, rosemary are good, but any that you like)

1. Lightly grease a 9x13 dish (I sprayed a little bit of Pam on the sides) then drizzle 2 Tbs olive oil to caot bottom.

2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water then add salt, and garlic salt. Add flour and beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds. ( I don't have a hand mixer so I just used my whisk to mix and combine dough evenly. It seemed to be just as effective even though I'm sure I didn't whisk on high.)

3. Scoop the sticky batter into prepared dish and spread it to the pan, cover with plastic wrap or towl, and let it rise at room temp for 60min, until it is puffy.

4. While rising preheat oven to 375.

5. Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger. (It helps to dip your finger in water first.)

6. Drizzle it lightly with remaining 1Tbs olive oil and sprinkle with dried herbs.

7. Bake until golden brown, 30-40 min.

8. Let cool 5 min, then take out of pan and cool on rack. Serve warm.