Lemon-Cherry Hot Cross Buns for #SundaySupper

Happy Easter, everyone! The Inspiring Foodies over at Triberr put together an Easter menu for today's #SundaySupper. Being the baker I am, I volunteered to make the hot cross buns. The menu sounds so amazing and wish we were actually gathering for dinner. Let's dig in!

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Irish Soda Bread - Tuesdays With Dorie

I am honored to be hosting Tuesdays With Dorie today! I think it’s quite funny I was chosen for Irish Soda Bread because I spent a semester abroad overseas in Ireland. In fact, the reason this blog was born was because I had trouble coping with my homesickness during my last month. Of course this bread brings back memories. Funny that I never ate much of it in Ireland. I think my friend’s mom made it for me once or twice and I may have bought it at the store once. The best part is it takes 4 ingredients, 5-10 minutes to prepare, and 50 minutes to bake.

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Banana Rum Sauce + Giveaway

Last month, I did a book review on Baking Basics and Beyond by Pat Sinclair. One of the recipes I tried was the New Orleans Bread Pudding with Banana Rum Sauce. Although the pudding was very basic, the sauce was amazing. This is my first time flambeing, and I promise it's easy and worth it! You get the taste of rum without the alcohol.

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White Loaf - Tuesdays With Dorie

Hard to believe Tuesdays With Dorie is ready to start another book! I was a part of the group when they did Baking: From My Home To Yours. However, after I moved and started a full-time job, I ended up falling behind on participation. Now that TwD is starting a new book, I'm going to try baking along again. The book for round two is Baking With Julia, written by Dorie Greenspan. I've had this book on my wish list for awhile because I love Dorie. I think I own about 5 or 6 of her books! The book is a collection of recipes from Julia Child.

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Corn Pup Muffins

Any blogger who has been baking for at least a year will tell you how embarrassing some of the first pictures were. Guess we have to all start somewhere, no? When I was going through my archive, I found some great recipes I completely forgot about, like these Corn Pup Muffins. I used to make these all the time before I moved out. I've made them twice since the redesign, so I want to share them with you again.

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Streusel Pumpkin Sweet Rolls

Sometimes I feel I should specialize in bread dough. Cookies crumble. Layer cakes fall over. Brownies become overbaked. But bread dough? No problem. I already made Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls, Baker's Dozen Yeast Rolls, and now these sweet rolls. Perfect for breakfast or dessert (or both!)



I cut the original recipe in half because it would've made two dozen rolls. As much as I love sweets, two dozen is way too many, even when visiting family for the holiday. Overall, I enjoyed these rolls and would make them again. Next time, I would add either walnuts or pecans to the streusel for a bit of a crunch and thicken the glaze with a little more sugar. I may even try using maple syrup instead of the milk.

Perfect for when you are tired of pie but have pumpkin leftover.


Streusel Pumpkin Sweet Rolls



1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
5 oz warm milk (110 - 115 degrees)
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups - 3 1/4 cup flour

Streusel
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
6 Tbsp butter, cold and cubed

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 - 2 Tbsp milk

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add pumpkin, sugar, butter, salt, and flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Dough will be sticky. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Shortly before the dough is ready, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice; cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup.

Punch dough down. Roll it out into 12 x 10 inch rectangle. Sprinkle remaining streusel on top. Roll up jelly-roll style, pinching seams to seal. Cut into 12 slices and place cut-side down into a greased 13 x 9 pan. Sprinkle with reserved streusel. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. After taking them out of the oven, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk for the glaze. Drizzle over the rolls and serve warm.

Makes 12 rolls.
Source: Taste of Home Fall Baking 2011

Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls

Edit - hey this is my 350th post!!

Back in May for my birthday, my friend bought me a bookstore gift card because she knows I love cookbooks. I’ve been to the bookstore several times but didn’t know what to get. I have a tough time spending full price ($20+) on one book when I have so many. Finally in August as I wandered the store, I stumbled upon the cooking magazines. Bon Appetit, no. Food and Wine, no. Cooking Light, no. I love Taste of Home, so I looked for their selection.

Then it happened.

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but how could you not when these gooey, delicious, amazing, apple cinnamon rolls stared at you? As September was approaching, I knew I wanted this fall baking book for its cover recipe (the other recipes looked good too).

I actually made these twice. The first time I subbed peaches because I had a half bushel. Well I didn’t account for peaches being juicier than apples, so the filling failed because it leaked everywhere. I had much better luck with the intended version. I’m still not good at rolling dough up though.

It’s hard to say how hard this recipe is since I’ve been baking for years, but I don’t think the dough is too complicated. The dough came together easily, so it’s a good start for those who want more yeast dough experience. What makes dough a little more advanced is the yeast itself. Always use a thermometer to measure your liquid temperature. If the liquid is too cold, the yeast won’t react. If the liquid is too hot, the yeast will die.

The recipe says to let sit 30 minutes before baking, but you can let them sit a little longer. I made these rolls and sat them on the counter covered with a towel while dinner was in the oven. As soon as I served dinner, I put the rolls in the oven so they’d be ready for dessert. So don’t panic if you can’t bake them right away. I think mine sat for about 45-60 minutes.

Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls



3 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 package yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup apple cider
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 egg
2 cups chopped apples, peeled and cored (I used Golden Delicious)
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 tsp ground cinnamon

Frosting:
1 cup apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Grease a 13x9 inch pan. In a large bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cider and 1/4 cup butter to 120°-130°. It must be in this range. Too cold means the yeast won't react. Too hot means the yeast will die.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add egg; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining 1 cup flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll into a 15x10 inch. rectangle. Spread remaining 2 Tbsp butter to within half inch of edges. Combine the apples, brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon in a small bowl then sprinkle over the dough.

Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices. Place cut side down in greased pan. Preheat oven to 325F. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Place cider and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick; cool cider.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and reduced cider; beat until smooth. Spread over warm rolls.

Makes 12 rolls.
Source: Taste of Home Fall Baking 2011

Irish Soda Bread

Every time St. Patrick's Day rolls around, I get excited and "homesick" at the same time. It's been about four years since I studied abroad in Ireland. I had the privilege of spending St. Patty's Day in the heart of it all - Dublin, Ireland. Someday I'll make it back, this time with a better-equipped camera.

Surprisingly, I don't remember eating much soda bread. I think I bought a loaf at the bakery once. I even asked my best friend who lives there, and she said she typically doesn't make or eat it herself. My parents were visiting this past weekend, so I decided to make a loaf in honor of the holiday coming up. Plus I can send most of the loaf home with them so I eat less of it.



Irish soda bread got its name because it uses baking soda as a leavening agent instead of yeast. This also means the dough comes together very quickly and is easy to make. Most traditional recipes use four ingredients - flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. Typically, I use the milk + vinegar sub for buttermilk, but I feel that some recipes, like this and waffles, need authentic buttermilk. For my bread, I added a handful of raisins (or sultanas as the Irish call them). Right before baking, a cross is cut into the top of the bread, which, according to Irish folklore, is said to ward off evil or to let the fairies out.



Although on the outside the bread looked great, the middle was still slightly raw. I tried putting it back in, but the damage was done. Not sure what happened. Either it needed more time or my dough was too wet. I still have some buttermilk left, so maybe I will cut the recipe in half and try again.

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 425. Brush a baking sheet with oil or line with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Sift flour, salt, and soda in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the buttermilk. Mix well with a spoon, then with your hands. The dough should be very soft but not too wet. Mix in raisins, if using

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly and briefly - too much will toughen it while too little means it won't rise properly. Shape into an 8-inch round loaf. Place onto baking sheet and cut a cross in the top.

Bake 25-30 minutes. It should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and cool slightly. Serve warm.

Sources: "A Little Irish Cookbook" by John Murphy and "Irish Pub Cooking" by Love Food.

Tuesdays With Dorie - Fresh Mango Bread

Man, it's been awhile since I've done one of these. This week's TwD was Dorie's Fresh Mango Bread. Mango is a favorite of mine, so I was really excited to bake this bread. However, I was slightly disappointed. I felt that there was slightly too much ginger in it. My mom said there was too much lime. My dad said it was just right. All I know this bread kinda stuck around longer than usual. I would make this bread again if I have leftover mangoes, but I would probably use the leftovers for mango sorbet rather than bread.



Thanks Kelly from Baking with the Boys for this week's pick! You can find the recipe on page 45 of Baking: From My Home To Yours or on Kelly's blog.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! In case it wasn't very clear, you need to leave a comment for each step completed. For example, if you are following me on Twitter, comment and say I am following you on Twitter. I am following you in a feed. I subscribed to your email, etc. Each time your comment, you have another entry in the giveaway. Make sense? I hope so!

Mini Makes It Cuter

Gah I am freezing right now. The thermostat claims the apartment is 70 degrees, but my room definitely is not. It's on the edge and on the third floor, so I get hit by twice the wind as opposed to two of my roommates. To make it even better, they are calling for 2-4 MORE inches of snow. It wouldn't be so bad if the sidewalks weren't slushy and muddy and the construction workers finished working on the sidewalks during break and not during classes. Sad part is they started construction back in November.

Anyway, for Christmas I got a mini muffin pan. I knew it was coming because I didn't ask for much and I picked it out haha I don't know why, but mini muffins seem more fun and appealing than regular muffins. Plus if I need to bring goodies to a club meeting or a friend's party, I can whip up 24 mini cupcakes or brownie bites in no time. Or those cheesecake bites. To convert a regular-sized muffin/cupcake to mini-sized, multiply the quantity by 4. For example, if the recipe makes 12 muffins, multiply 12 by 4 and you will get 48 mini muffins.




I figured for breakfast at school, I can make mini muffins to snack on. I chose Dorie's Chocolate Chunk Muffins because I had some bittersweet chocolate to use. I imagine you can sub your favorite chocolate because these muffins definitely reflect the 70% cacao I used. They were also a little dry, so they are meant to be eaten with coffee or tea. The recipe says to add chopped chocolate, but I think mine melted. I'll use chocolate chips next time because they keep their shape after baking.


Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins




For the recipe, refer to page 19 of Baking: From My Home To Yours. I really do encourage everyone to buy the book, but if you really want the recipe, email me.

Tuesdays With Dorie...Kinda

Ok so I don't know if I really should be calling this Tuesdays With Dorie this week because although I made corn muffins, I made the ones on page 4 instead of the Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins on page 6. Did I make the wrong ones by accident? Nope. I made these a few days before the January recipes were announced. Since nobody in my family really eats corn muffins, I didn't want to make another dozen. Plus I couldn't cut the recipe in half because it involves 1 egg yolk (unless somebody has a solution?). Really, the difference is these don't use peppers or buttermilk.


Corniest Corn Muffins




For the real TwD recipe this week, please check out Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake, who picked the recipe, and the other TwDers.

Tuesdays With Dorie - Pumpkin Muffins

I'm so glad I did this week's recipe when I was home for fall break a few weeks ago. I have been running around last week studying for my communication law midterm, writing comm. law essays, taping Homecoming events, and preparing for my presentation at a conference this past weekend. That's just the life of a student, no? So this week's recipe was Dorie's Pumpkin Muffins. Last week I mentioned buying fresh whole wheat flour. I decided to sub half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. You don't want to sub all of the flour because the muffins would become too dense unless you adjusted the liquid ingredients as well. I thought they turned out ok. I didn't top them with sunflower seeds because I didn't have any, so I just threw raisins in the batter.

Pumpkin Muffins




Thanks Kelly from Sounding My Barbaric Gulp for picking this week's recipe! They make a great breakfast snack. You can find the recipe on page 13 of Baking: From My Home To Yours or on Kelly's blog.

Tuesdays With Dorie - Black and White Banana Loaf

I don't know how to explain it. You flip through Dorie's book and drool over the recipes and photographs. Everything sounds so yummy, and when you have an ingredient you need to use, usually you can find something in the index. So how could this baking bible disappoint any baker? Perhaps it was my tastebuds or perhaps fresh nutmeg really does make a difference, but I didn't enjoy the Black and White Banana Loaf chosen for this week. The nutmeg is very distinct. If you hate nutmeg, you will not like this bread. But I don't hate nutmeg. Maybe because I was expecting more chocolate flavor (I used semi-sweet) or even the rum. I barely tasted the Bacardi Puerto Rico rum I used. It smelled (and tasted) good when I made the banana mixture, but since alcohol evaporates after baking, I couldn't tell anymore. The rum was a golden rum, not a dark rum. Maybe I'm the one who messed up and the recipe is perfectly fine. After all, my bread was flatter than usual banana bread. And why did Dorie list this as a cake and not bread? Well, if I didn't do the baking right, at least my marbling looks like marbling! I'm quite proud of my photograph too.


Black and White Banana Loaf




Ashlee from A Year in the Kitchen has chosen this week's recipe. She also had trouble with her loaf, also barely tasting the rum. My batter wasn't runny, though. She tweaked the recipe, so please visit her lovely blog for suggestions and the recipe. If you own the book, the recipe can be found on page 232.

Bananas For You

When there are leftover, overripen bananas in the house, I tend to make banana bread. However, it has been happening a lot this summer, so I'm getting bored with it. I decided to search around in my cookbook collection and find a new recipe. I found several options but decided to go with Ms. Greenspan's Cocoa-Nana Bread. Just like the name states, it is chocolate banana bread. This one is definitely a keeper (then again, all of Dorie's recipes are). I followed the directions exactly, including putting the loaf pan on a cookie sheet while baking. She notes that it will add extra installation and prevent the bottom of the bread from overbaking. I guess it worked because it turned out fine.


Cocoa-Nana Bread




2 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
8 Tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9x5 loaf pan and place on an insulated baking sheet.

2. Sift together flour, cocoa, powder, salt, and soda.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed for 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat another 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. Reduce speed to low and beat in bananas. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear into batter. Add buttermilk, mixing until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into pan.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Cover with foil. Bake for another 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Then let cool to room temperature.

Source: Baking: From My Home To Yours, 2006 p.46

Doing Anything I Can To Not Write This Paper

While I sit here and attempt to write my philosophy paper, I found a picture from spring break. If you have a bread machine, you should definitely make this pizza bread. I didn't have powdered milk, so I used 2 Tbsp liquid milk. If you use the liquid milk, take away 2 Tbsp from the water because this bread was super moist. Also, my pepperoni chunks shrank. If you want the pieces to be noticable, add the pepperoni when your bread machine beeps. Perfect to serve with soup and salad.


Pizza Bread




Recipe can be found at The Cookbook Junkie. For best results, add the ingredients according to your bread machine. Mine goes liquids, dry ingredients, yeast.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge Entry

Back in November, Megan baked Sweet Applets for our cookbook exchange. There was a misunderstanding, so I ended up making Apple Harvest Squares. To make us even, I went ahead and made the Sweet Applets. This is also my entry for this month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge.

I don't know why this recipe was listed in the cake section. This is definitely a muffin. Maybe because they used a cupcake pan for this? Or maybe the standards were different in 1964. I used McIntosh apples, chopped instead of shredded. I cut down on the topping, so the adjustments are listed below. Next time, I would consider adding chopped walnuts to the batter.


Sweet Applets




1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chopped or shredded apple
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners or grease cups well. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. Cream 1/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar together. Beat in egg. Alternate between adding milk and dry ingredients. Stir in apple. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full.

3. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp butter in one bowl. Mix 2 Tbsp sugar and cinnamon in another. After 10 minutes is up, roll each muffin into the butter and then cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 muffins.

Source: Pillsbury's 15th Grand National Bake-Off Recipes, 1964 p.23

Bread Machine - More Than Just Bread

I made white bread again on Monday. I was gone all morning and early afternoon, so by the time I got home, it was close to dinnertime. My mom wanted bread, but there was no way it would be done in time for dinner. She said that was fine. We could eat it after dinner. Well, that was a bad idea because my dad made his Italian potato salad (made with oil and vinegar rather than mayonnaise - amazing!),so we all filled up on that. The loaf of bread was only half-eaten. Since fresh bread goes stale the next day, I decided to try something on my list: #53 bread pudding.

The first time I had bread pudding was in Ireland. About once a month, I stayed over my friend's house in Dublin. Her and her family were amazing to me. When her mom found out I never had bread pudding, she made some for me. It was the only the best bread pudding I've had. Now, this bread pudding probably doesn't compare to hers since this is my first time, but it was still delicious. I was a little skeptical to pair it with the lemon sauce the recipe called for, but surprisingly, they went well together. The lemon sauce made a lot, so below is the adjusted version (which still makes a lot). You can serve the leftover sauce on ice cream or cake. Maybe even pancakes or waffles.

Classic Raisin Bread Pudding



4 cups firm white bread, cubed
1 cup raisins
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Lemon Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch or 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a one-quart baking dish. Combine bread and raisins; place in baking dish.

2. Heat milk and butter in a saucepan until butter has melted (do not boil). In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour over bread mixture; let stand 5 minutes. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

3. For sauce: combine sugar and cornstarch/flour in saucepan. Stir in water, zest, and juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until combined. Serve immediately on top of bread pudding.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Source: Gooseberry Patch Family Favorite Recipes with Sun-Maid Raisins and Dried Fruit, 2005 p.24

You can get a free copy of the Gooseberry Patch book from the Sun Maid website.

Coffee Break Time

Interested in winning an Easter contest? Head on over to Megan's contest and leave her a comment. It's that simple! You can win some nice kitchen accessories that will remind you that spring is around the corner. If you enter, tell her I sent you.

I've been meaning to try Dorie's Coffee-Break Muffins ever since I photocopied the page from the library (I really need to ask for this book for my birthday). I finally decided last weekend I would. I suggest using your best coffee because the flavor will carry over greatly in the muffins. It also called for instant espresso powder, but I only had instant coffee, so good enough. You can also freeze these muffins so they will last more than a few days. Just wrap individually in plastic wrap, place in freezer, and pull out an hour or so before you intend on eating them.

Coffee-Break Muffins




2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp instant espresso powder or coffee
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup coffee, cooled
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line or spray muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, instant espresso/coffee, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in brown sugar until there are no lumps present. In another bowl, whisk coffee, butter, egg, and vanilla until combined. It is important that your coffee and butter are cooled because if not, the heat will result in a scrambled egg. Add liquid to dry ingredients and gently but quickly stir. Do not overmix.

3. Divide the batter among the muffin pan evenly. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely on rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Source: Baking: From My Home To Yours, 2006 p. 15

When Mother Nature Gives You Snow, Bake Bread

All this cold weather makes me crave warm, comforting foods. Lately I've been craving a quick bread of some sort. I didn't have enough bananas, so banana bread was out. I really didn't want applesauce bread nor did I want to shred carrots for carrot bread. I was looking through Quick Bread Winners from Betty Crocker that Anj had given me when I found Glazed Cinnamon Breakfast Loaf. I didn't want any glaze, but the loaf alone sounded good. Plus it uses basic ingredients. Well, almost basic. It calls for buttermilk baking mix (aka Bisquick), but you can make your own. I honestly think you don't need the extra sugar and calories from the glaze, but I'll attach the recipe for those who have a really sweet tooth. It calls for raisins, but feel free to use nuts. I was going to use walnuts, but I forgot.


Cinnamon Breakfast Loaf



3 cups buttermilk baking mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins or nuts

Glaze (optional)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp butter
3/4 tsp vanilla
2-3 tsp hot water

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan.

2. Beat baking mix, sugar, flour, egg, and milk on low speed of mixer 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in raisins/nuts. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour 1/3 of the batter (2/3 cup) into pan. Sprinkle layer with 3 Tbsp cinnamon mixture. Repeat 2 more times.

3. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before drizzling with glaze.

4. Glaze: Beat sugar, butter, vanilla, and water until smooth consistency. Drizzle on bread when cool.

Source: Quick Bread Winners from Betty Crocker, 1985 p.61

Is it Friday yet??

One week from today, I'll be in my nice, warm bed cuddled with a nice, warm furball. Actually, he sleeps in odd places, so he'll probably be on the floor while I'm on my bed. That's right - the end of fall semester is near. Every year it's the same - I have a crapload of work due BEFORE finals week, and finals week is relaxation (except for my chem final). Why comm. majors do it backwards? Beats me. All I know is my ten-page research paper on minority representation in prime time programming is done. I'll get my grade back Thursday *cough* I'm hoping for a B+. And that's pretty damn good, considering what we are doing in one class is what grad students do throughout grad school. Thank goodness I have no plans for grad school.

Anyway, I've been too busy writing my paper to do anything in the kitchen. However, I do have another recipe to post from Thanksgiving break. Enjoy!!


Pumpkin Raisin Bread




1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp ginger)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, spices, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in raisins. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake 60-65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Source: Very Best Baking