Plain Old Banana Bread

This is the time of year - just past Purim - when people who observe Passover clean out their cabinets (a good spring clean!), throw out stuff they’re never going to use or that’s past a “sell-by” date, give ingredients away and use up prohibited ingredients such as flour, cookies, bread and such.

I’m also always looking for ways to use up uneaten bananas. So, for me, one of the most delicious ways to use up the flour AND the bananas is: Banana Bread!

Like this very simple one to which you could add: chocolate chips, raisins, chopped nuts, crystallized ginger, candied orange peel (about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of any extra).

plain old BANANA BREAD

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 3 ripe medium bananas, mashed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. Mix the sugar and vegetable oil together in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and beat them in until well combined. Add the buttermilk and bananas and blend them in thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and blend it in. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes one loaf

Cherry Muffins for a President

Did George Washington chop down a cherry tree and then confess to his father?

That story has been around for as long as I can remember.

But in our current political atmosphere, where lies are often touted as truths and facts don’t seem to matter, I decided to look into this one.

According to Mount Vernon’s George Washington:

the story isn’t true.

But it isn’t Washington’s fault.

The story was a complete fabrication by Mason Locke Weems, George Washington’s first biographer. This is how most of us learned it: someone gave a hatchet to George Washington when he was age six, and somehow the young boy damaged one of the trees near the family home. When his father confronted him Washington said “Father, I cannot tell a lie. I cut down the tree.” And his father told him that his honesty was worth 100 trees.

It’s a myth.

OTOH, it’s really nice that the whole cherry thing happened and long ago cherry recipes became iconic food for Washington’s birthday (now celebrated as President’s Day). Because cherries are delicious by themselves and also add a lot of flavor and texture to so many foods, including muffins.

These cherry muffins would make nice mishloach manot gifts for Purim.

Cherry Muffins

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup plain yogurt or dairy sour cream or buttermilk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup chopped sour (or sweet) cherries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 10 muffin tins. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl mix the eggs, melted, cooled butter, yogurt and vanilla extract until thoroughly blended. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and mix to combine ingredients. Fold in the cherries. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 10

Banana Bread with Nuts and Raisins

My cousins are coming for our usual new year’s weekend.

What a grand way to end a terrible year.

We are all triple vaxxed and tested (negative).

This, to me, is thrilling enough.

We will watch Britbox murder mysteries — we all love them and there are some new goodies available.

We will eat and drink!

Last week I posted one of the desserts — M’hencha — that we will have (on New Year’s Eve when my sister-in-law and brother also come).

For dinner one night we will have Azerbaijani Plov, a fabulous melange of rice, dried fruit and meat (I am making it with lamb).

New year’s Eve is always an hors d’oeuvre fest. We space it out during the day, so we eat a few hors d’oeuvre at a time and wait for the next round.

So, I will serve Hot Dog en Croute and Almond Chicken Nuggets (plus olives, pickled beets and such).

Later, I will serve gougeres, Romanian Cheese Turnovers, cheese with Pepper Jam and a few other things.

During the weekend there’s breakfast of course, which consists of smoked fish and bagels for a couple of days.

During the day we also might find ourselves a bit peckish because I don’t serve lunch. We just “pick.”

This year, one of the pickings is going to be this Banana Bread. Which is terrific with tea or coffee. Ir’s good plain or spread with cream cheese. It’s even a good choice for dessert along with some ice cream. It’s a good nibble while watching the new series of Dalgliesh or rewatching Shetland.

We intend to have a good time.

Happy, healthy 2022 to all!

Banana Bread with Nuts and Raisins

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/4 cup coconut oil

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed

• 1/3 cup yogurt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

• 1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts

• 1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Melt the butter and coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat, set aside. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a bowl and set it aside. Beat the sugar and melted butter/coconut oil mixture with a handheld or electric mixer set at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the bananas and beat the mixture to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Add the flour mixture, stirring only enough to blend in the dry ingredients. Add the yogurt, vanilla extract, nuts and raisins and stir them in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes one loaf. 

Pumpkin Bread with Raisins

With all these pumpkins, where’s the bread?

Fact is, I always buy a medium size “show pumpkin” and a couple of small sugar pumpkins before Hallowe’en, just as tokens to the season. I no longer carve the pumpkins (nor do I have Hallowe’en hot chocolate for after trick-or-treating) — my kids are grown up and in homes of their own. I just like having the pumpkins until it’s time to use them.

I do use those pumpkins.

I cut them, bake the pieces and use the flesh for all sorts of pumpkin items.

Muffins. Pie. Soup. Cake. Coffee Cake. Even Ice Cream.

This coming week will be pumpkin bread time. I have lots of recipes for pumpkin bread. The one here is just the latest version.

Pumpkin Bread with Raisins 

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup mashed or pureed pumpkin

• 1/3 cup milk, dairy or nondairy

• 2 large eggs

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 cup raisins (or use dried cranberries or cherries)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3”loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the white and brown sugars, vegetable oil, pumpkin and milk until thoroughly blended. whisk in the eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and whisk until evenly blended. Stir in the pumpkin mixture until the batter is smooth and uniform. Fold in the raisins. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Makes one loaf

Crumb Cake

Recently I bought a whole load of apples and have almost completed my yearly activity of making all sorts of apple desserts to put away in the freezer. I made pie, crisp, cake, my mother’s recipe for Raisin Bran crusted apples.

I also wanted to make apple sauce, but when I looked around I realized that in addition to all those apples, I had several plums and nectarines that were past their prime.

I hate to throw out food, so I made sauce, but only used two apples. The rest: 5 nectarines, 5 plums. A teaspoon of cinnamon. A tablespoon or two of sugar. All boiled down, just like applesauce, which we ate with roasted chicken.

But I had some left so I decided to use it to bake one of the recipes I have for applesauce coffee cake. I changed the formula a bit so that the seasonings would go better with mixed fruit, and I changed the streusel top to be nut-free (I used old fashioned oats).

The result: tender, moist, delicious coffee cake.

FRUIT SAUCE Crumb Cake:

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/2 cup applesauce or other fruit sauce

• 1/3 cup sour cream

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/3 cup milk

• streusel topping

 streusel topping: 

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons cold butter cut into small chunks

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 9-inch cake pan. Beat the sugar and butter together with a hand mixer or electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the applesauce, sour cream, egg and orange peel and beat the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until well blended. Add half the milk and beat until well blended. Repeat until all the flour and milk have been used up. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes then carefully invert the cake twice onto a cake rack to cool completely. Turn the cake right side up to cool completely.

To make the streusel: mix the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl until they are well combined. Add the butter and mix the pieces into the dry ingredients with your fingers, a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is mealy.

Makes 8-10 servings

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

I love September. I love seeing bins of fresh pumpkins at the market. The pumpkins remind me that we’re in the midst of the Jewish holidays, which signal a new year and new beginnings, so that even while the trees will soon be bare and it will get cold and snowy and nighttime will come more quickly and the long sunshiny days of summer are ending, there’s a new harvest, a new season. Life continues and thrives and I know that in Connecticut, where I live, we will soon see nature’s spectacular colors along the roads, fields and highways.

In case I wasn’t clear —I love this time of year.

I also love using fresh pumpkin for recipes. Ravioli filling. Soup. Sauce. Pie. Cake. Quickbread. Even ice cream.

This is my latest pumpkin special: muffins that are perfect for Sukkot as breakfast (or snack) or to tote to a Sukkah to eat with dinner. I add raisins but you can leave them out or substitute any dried fruit or chopped nuts.

P.S. These muffins would also be a nice treat for Thanksgiving dinner.

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine; NOT pumpkin pie mix)

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup milk (non-dairy or dairy)

• 2 large eggs

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 cup raisins (or use dried cranberries or chopped nuts)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin tin cups. Combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, vegetable oil and milk in a large bowl and whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Whisk in the eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and add them to the pumpkin mixture. Whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Fold in the raisins. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the prepared cups. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Makes 10 muffins

Poached Green Figs with Orange Juice and Honey

The early Jewish holidays this year mean one big delicious bonus for us, fresh fig eaters that we are. This luscious fruit will still be in season.

In keeping with Rosh Hashanah I recently poached some fresh figs using honey (also, some ginger, whole cloves and orange peel for LOTS of flavor). The result was ….. oh-my! worthy. It’s on my dessert menu this year.

Poached Green Figs with Orange Juice and Honey

• 1 cup orange juice

• 1 cup water

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/2-inch chunk peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped

• 6 whole cloves

• 2 2-inch strips orange peel

• 8-10 fresh green figs

• ice cream, whipped cream, sorbet, optional

Place the juice, water and honey in a saucepan. Add the ginger, cloves and orange peel and bring the liquid to a boil. Stir to blend the liquids, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the figs and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the ingredients cool. Remove the figs from the pan and cut each in half. Set aside. Strain the ingredients in the pan. Discard the solid ingredients. Pour the liquid back into the pan and cook over high heat for 5-6 minutes or until the liquid is syrupy (the consistency of maple syrup). Let the syrup cool. Before serving, some of the fig halves in serving dishes, pour some poaching syrup on top. Place some ice cream, whipped cream or sorbet on top.

Makes 4-6 servings

Banana Bread with Yogurt and Raisins

Banana bread with yogurt and raisins

Here it is — the latest in my “bought too many bananas so I’m gonna make banana bread” banana bread.

This one is moist, gently warmed with cinnamon and studded with raisins (although you could substitute dried cherries or cranberries and such). It looks lovely, both whole and when sliced. And I can tell you that all my usual tasters have said it was delicious.

Banana Bread with Yogurt and Raisins

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (or dairy sour cream)

• 3 ripe medium bananas, mashed

• 1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. Mix the sugar and vegetable oil together in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and beat them in until well combined. Add the yogurt and bananas and blend them in thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and blend it in. Fold in the raisins. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes one loaf

Banana Chocolate Muffins

Before my cousins came for a long visit over the Memorial Day weekend I stocked up on all the foods they loved. We ate most of it, but Leslie told me that Neil also needed foods with potassium so I bought several bananas.

He ate a few.

Still. I bought too many. As usual. There were 3 left over.

So, banana muffins. These, with chocolate because, why not?

banana chocolate Muffins

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

• 3/4 cup water

• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 muffin tins. Melt the chocolate and set it aside to cool. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set it aside. Beat the sugar and vegetable oil together in an electric mixer at medium speed for a minute or so or until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to blend ingredients thoroughly. Add the bananas and mix them in. Add the dry ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes to blend them in thoroughly. Combine the water and cider vinegar, pour into the batter and beat the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Fill muffin tins with equal amounts of the batter. Spoon equal amounts of chocolate on top of each and use a knife to swirl some chocolate into each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 15 minutes before removing them.

Makes 10

Blueberry Granola Crisp

In my neck of the woods the blueberries are fabulous.

Just in time for a dessert trying out a new riff on my usual granola crust.

It went well…..

Blueberry Granola Crisp

Crust:

• 1 cup granola

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup raisins, optional

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 5 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into chunks

Place the granola, flour, raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a food processor and pulse the ingredients 2-3 times to distribute them evenly. Add the butter and pulse several times until the butter pieces become tiny and distributed evenly within the dry ingredients. Set aside.

Filling:

• 4 cups blueberries

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the ingredients in a baking dish, toss to distribute the ingredients evenly. Cover the fruit with the granola mixture. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the crust is brown and crunchy.

Makes 4-6 servings