Baked Goods |
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Banana Bread (Low fat and fantastic!)
Irish Soda Bread
All-Star Muffins
Irish Soda Bread
1 lb. plain flour
3/4 pint buttermilk
1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp. salt
Mix the dry ingredients together, making sure there are no lumps in the soda. Add buttermilk and
mix well with a wooden spoon. Knead lightly on a baking sheet and mark the top with a cross.
Bake at the top of a hot oven for three quarters of an hour, until bottom of the loaf sounds hollow
when rapped with the knuckle.
Janeen writes: I find it might be better to separate the dough into two loaves - cooks better. Also, I
used an approx. 350-degree oven....had to guess since they measure heat differently on Irish ovens.
Also fun to cook with a friend whilst drinking copious amounts of brandy....this was my first experience
with soda bread thanks to my Great Aunt Bridget (aka Granny Biddy)...who got me completely
snockered in the process...so much so that they still joke about me baking soda bread back in Ireland!
(NB: Granny Biddy was 80 years old at the time and drank every bit as much brandy as I did but unlike
me, remained quite well in control of herself!)
Bring a loaf to a friend, or keep it for yourself. Make it into bread pudding, spread some cream cheese on
a slice, eat it warm or cold. Meg's Kitchen makes a lot of this and shares it often. No complaints so far.
This recipe is from King Arthur Flour. It is low fat compared to most I've seen, but without messing up
the texture. The recipe says it makes one loaf, but I divide it into two smaller loaves, or double it and
make three big ones. Sometimes I use half whole wheat flour, or replace 2/3 cup flour with milled flax
seed when the healthy urge strikes.
Banana Bread
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed banana (2 to 3 very ripe bananas)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (I leave it out)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I leave this out, too)
2 and 2/3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream
1 cup walnuts (I leave this out, too)
Heat the oven to 350.
In a big bowl (use a mixer-- so much easier)Beat together well eggs, sugar and oil. Blend in banana and
vanilla. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices if you're using them. Add flour and mix quickly
but thoroughly. Then stir in yogurt until just combined.
Pour batter into 9x5 loaf pan (or divide it between two-- really works fine). Bake for about an hour but
start checking at 45 minutes. Test by inserting a knife of toothpick in the middle and when it comes out
clean you're done. Cool the bread before you slice unless people are standing over you demanding bread
immediately because it smells so yummy-- this is why I make two loaves, by the way. I prefer cold
banana bread that has been chilled in the fridge overnight- the flavors are better.
All Star Muffins from King Arthur Flour
You can whatever you want to this yummy basic batter. It's really good and you can make it the night
before and bake it in the morning if you want! If you do this and want to add berries, wait to add them
just before you bake.
Preheat over to 400 degrees F
Combine in a bowl:
3 1/2 cups flour (use unbleached all purpose)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Cream together until light and fluffy and almost white:
1 stick (8 Tbs) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
Then add:
3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
Add 2 tsp vanilla and 1 cup sour cream or yogurt or buttermilk
Mix well
Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix on low until just blended.
Add whatever you want to mix in, berries or chocolate chips or bananas or whatever you like.
Fill muffin cups (use paper liners or just spray some Pam in the muffin cups before you fill them)
about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for
five minutes then take them out onto plate or rack.
Irish Soda Bread
All-Star Muffins
Irish Soda Bread
1 lb. plain flour
3/4 pint buttermilk
1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp. salt
Mix the dry ingredients together, making sure there are no lumps in the soda. Add buttermilk and
mix well with a wooden spoon. Knead lightly on a baking sheet and mark the top with a cross.
Bake at the top of a hot oven for three quarters of an hour, until bottom of the loaf sounds hollow
when rapped with the knuckle.
Janeen writes: I find it might be better to separate the dough into two loaves - cooks better. Also, I
used an approx. 350-degree oven....had to guess since they measure heat differently on Irish ovens.
Also fun to cook with a friend whilst drinking copious amounts of brandy....this was my first experience
with soda bread thanks to my Great Aunt Bridget (aka Granny Biddy)...who got me completely
snockered in the process...so much so that they still joke about me baking soda bread back in Ireland!
(NB: Granny Biddy was 80 years old at the time and drank every bit as much brandy as I did but unlike
me, remained quite well in control of herself!)
Bring a loaf to a friend, or keep it for yourself. Make it into bread pudding, spread some cream cheese on
a slice, eat it warm or cold. Meg's Kitchen makes a lot of this and shares it often. No complaints so far.
This recipe is from King Arthur Flour. It is low fat compared to most I've seen, but without messing up
the texture. The recipe says it makes one loaf, but I divide it into two smaller loaves, or double it and
make three big ones. Sometimes I use half whole wheat flour, or replace 2/3 cup flour with milled flax
seed when the healthy urge strikes.
Banana Bread
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed banana (2 to 3 very ripe bananas)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (I leave it out)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I leave this out, too)
2 and 2/3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream
1 cup walnuts (I leave this out, too)
Heat the oven to 350.
In a big bowl (use a mixer-- so much easier)Beat together well eggs, sugar and oil. Blend in banana and
vanilla. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices if you're using them. Add flour and mix quickly
but thoroughly. Then stir in yogurt until just combined.
Pour batter into 9x5 loaf pan (or divide it between two-- really works fine). Bake for about an hour but
start checking at 45 minutes. Test by inserting a knife of toothpick in the middle and when it comes out
clean you're done. Cool the bread before you slice unless people are standing over you demanding bread
immediately because it smells so yummy-- this is why I make two loaves, by the way. I prefer cold
banana bread that has been chilled in the fridge overnight- the flavors are better.
All Star Muffins from King Arthur Flour
You can whatever you want to this yummy basic batter. It's really good and you can make it the night
before and bake it in the morning if you want! If you do this and want to add berries, wait to add them
just before you bake.
Preheat over to 400 degrees F
Combine in a bowl:
3 1/2 cups flour (use unbleached all purpose)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Cream together until light and fluffy and almost white:
1 stick (8 Tbs) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
Then add:
3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
Add 2 tsp vanilla and 1 cup sour cream or yogurt or buttermilk
Mix well
Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix on low until just blended.
Add whatever you want to mix in, berries or chocolate chips or bananas or whatever you like.
Fill muffin cups (use paper liners or just spray some Pam in the muffin cups before you fill them)
about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for
five minutes then take them out onto plate or rack.
Nothing calms the nerves like time spent hoping that somehow, combining flour and sugar and butter will, through the magic of a 350 oven, turn into something yummy. |