Banana Sour Cream Bread

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Cheddar Biscuits

1 pack buttermilk biscuit mix (I used Bisquick, about 1 1/2cups)
1 1/2cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oregano (you can omit or use less)
3/4 tsp garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray cooking sheet with non-stick spray.
2. Put biscuit mix, cheese and milk in a bowl and mix well to form a sticky dough.
3. Using spoon, drop lumps of dough onto cookie sheets 1.5in apart. Bake for 10min.
4. In a bowl, melt butter and mix with oregano and garlic salt.
5. When the timer goes off, take them out and brush with butter mixture and bake 5min at 400F and another 5-6min at 350F.
6. Transfer into a plate and serves immediately.

Whole Grain Banana-Pecan Muffins

3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. honey (you can substitute 1/4 c. sugar here if you prefer)
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large bananas or 3 smaller ones)
1/3 c. low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with liners–you’ll need about 15-16. Whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, honey (if using), and butter. Add each egg in one at a time, combining completely after each addition but not over-mixing. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat until just combined (don’t over-mix).

Divide the batter evenly (so the cups are about 2/3 full) among 15-16 muffin tins. Combine the chopped pecans and brown sugar and sprinkle them on top of the batter. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to finish cooling. Serve with breakfast or as a snack.

I LOVE these.  They're so nummy.

Jenna's White Bread

2 T yeast
2 1/4 C warm water*
5 1/2 C flour
1/4 C crisco
1 T sugar
1 T salt

Add warm water to yeast and mix until all the yeast is wet.  Add sugar, salt, crisco and 3 cups of flour and mix until combined.  (you may need to scrape down sides).  Add remaining flour 1/2 C at a time, until combined.  When dough sticks to hook and cleans sides of bowl, knead for 5 minutes.  Let rise in Kitchen Aid till doubled (45 min).  Knead 3 minutes on oiled surface (I spray Pam on counter).  Shape in loaves and place in greased bread pans.  Let rise till doubled (30 min).  Bake @ 400 for 20 minutes. 

Makes 2 9 inch loaves.

*Notes: This recipe freezes awesome and is great sandwhich bread. Absolutely delicious hot out of the oven with Jam. I use it for all my cinnamon rolls and scones.  Warm Water means 110-115 degrees.  Our water heater is set to 110, so I just let the water run on it's hottest for a few minutes before putting it in.  I don't usually like using Crisco, but haven't found a healthier loaf that I like as much.  It's also pretty salty.  I've tried half the salt and it was still good.  I usually only do that much salt when I want it to taste it's best.  I've never made this without a Kitchen Aid, so I'm not sure how it would turn out.  Kneading it the second time is only until you no longer hear bubbles popping. 

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 C butter, softened

1 C white sugar

1 C applesauce (can use chunky if desired)

1 1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 C oatmeal (and more to sprinkle on top, if desired)

2 eggs

1 apple cored, peeled, & chopped (optional, esp if using chunky applesauce)

1 t baking soda

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

-In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in applesauce, cinnamon and  oatmeal. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Sift together baking soda and flour and then add slowly to wet mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with some additional oatmeal, if desired.

-Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Notes:

I changed the original recipe to adapt to my preferences, all whole wheat flour and oatmeal instead of instant oatmeal packets. It's filling and tastes like fall! I love chunks of apples in mine but you can leave those out if desired, as it does increase prep time a bit.

Picture shared from and recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-cinnamon-oatmeal-bread/detail.aspx

Whole Grain Banana Muffins

Whole Grain Banana-Pecan Muffins
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. honey (you can substitute 1/4 c. sugar here if you prefer)
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 c. mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large bananas or 3 smaller ones)
• 1/3 c. low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt (I use fat free plain yogurt)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/4 c. pecans, chopped
• 1/4 c. packed brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with liners–you’ll need about 15-16. I just do 12 and fill them quite full. 

Whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, honey (if using), and butter. Add each egg in one at a time, combining completely after each addition but not over-mixing. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat until just combined (don’t over-mix).

Divide the batter evenly (so the cups are about 2/3 full) among 15-16 muffin tins.  I filled my muffin tins quite full so this recipe made 12 large sized muffins (because 15-16 muffins is just awkward!). Combine the chopped pecans and brown sugar and sprinkle them on top of the batter.  I also did not do the topping, although I'm sure it is yummy as well. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to finish cooling. Serve with breakfast or as a snack.

Notes:
This recipe has some healthy whole wheat flour but is not too heavy - just enough to be filling! I like to use this with any leftover bananas I have at the end of the week. I am also making 2 dozen and then freezing some now for future easy morning breakfasts although there's nothing like muffins right from the oven!

Recipe and pic accessed from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/09/kids-week-on-the-go-breakfasts-whole-grain-banana-pecan-muffins/

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 C vegetable oil
• ½ C applesauce
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 cups white sugar
• 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Cups whole wheat flour
• 
2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Optional: add 1/2 cup or so of mini chocolate chips and then sprinkle some on top to dress them up a bit!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans. (Or for me,it
worked perfectly for 2 of my 9x5 loaf pans).
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, applesauce, water and sugar until well blended.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Optional: Gently stir in chocolate
chips and sprinkle some on top once in pans, if desired. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes (7x3 pans) or 50-60 mins (9x5 pans) in the preheated oven. Loaves are done
when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Notes:

I thought the flavor was even better the second day. I think this recipe is kind of a nice compromise between healthy ingredients and taste! I reduced the sugar, replaced some of the oil with applesauce, and replaced over half of the flour with whole wheat flour. Nothing like warm pumpkin bread for breakfast on a fall morning!

(adapted from the recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Downeast-Maine-Pumpkin-Bread/Detail.aspx?prop24=etaf)