Eggnog Saigon Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Ingredients:

swirl:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Saigon cinnamon

batter:
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 cups eggnog
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray one standard loaf pan or mini loaf pan that makes 4 one cup loaves. In a small bowl, whisk together swirl ingredients. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together baking powder, nutmeg, flour, sugar and salt. In a medium sized bowl, combine eggs, eggnog, vanilla and oil. Add to flour mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour into pan, filling about 1/3 of the way. Sprinkle with swirl mixture. Add more batter, top with more of the swirl mixture. Bake 45- 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes then carefully remove to wire racks. Cool completely before slicing.

My thoughts:

I love making and giving quick breads for the holidays and am always trying to think of a new variation. Last year when faced with a ton of leftover nog I realized that I could use eggnog in pretty much the same way I would use milk. Saigon cinnamon is very fragrant with a spicy-sweet flavor that I think makes it the perfect foil to the rich eggnog. Think of this as a traditional cinnamon bread taken to the next level.

Favorite - {Chocolate Banana and Pecan Bread}

After a few rounds of Call of Duty, he lifted himself from the worn couch and slowly stepped away. His profile appeared over his massive left shoulder, and he politely asked, "are you hungry?" "No. Thank you," I quickly responded, having previously cataloged the contents of his refrigerator and kitchen cabinetry. Findings the results of my quick and thorough exploration both slim and

Bacon Cheddar Chipotle Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup shredded chipotle cheddar
1/4 cup diced green onion
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 strips thick cut bacon, crumbled
1 egg


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Oil or spray with baking spray one 8x8 baking pan. In a medium bowl, beat together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, egg, buttermilk and oil until well combined. Fold in the cheese, bacon and green onion. Pour into prepared pan and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

My thoughts:

It's been a while since I've made cornbread so when Matt put in the request for some I was happy to oblige. At first he wanted a chile cornbread but then found a bag shredded chipotle cheddar at the store so we decided to try that instead. The bacon was added to accent the smoky flavor and the green onions were a last minute flash of genius. The result is a really moist, surprising not heavy, slightly smoky-spicy cornbread that not only complements chili but pretty much any Southern/Southwestern entree.

Swim - {Cranberry and Orange Bread}

It's four in the morning and I'm floating on my back, surrounded, and unable to hear a thing. Water can do that to you.Some hours before, shivering under the unwelcome caress of a cool night on my exposed shoulders, I have a smile on my face. Bobbing in the water with my friends, I entwine my arms across my chest and fight the uncontrollable chatter of my teeth, watching canon balls and jumps

My Fantastic Experience on "The Martha Stewart Show" - {Strawberry Buttercream Bread}

Wandering through the city these past two days has been so fun! Mom and I didn't have any concrete plans (I'm weird about traveling. I just kind of go... Got that from Dad!), so we got a map and started circling things as we went. And I say "went," I mean WENT! Mom and I went allllllll over Manhattan. Not in a very organized manner, either. But it was so fun! Some highlights:Times Square

Basil & Olive Oil Cornbread

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups cornmeal
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray one standard loaf pan or mini loaf pan that makes 4 one cup loaves. In a medium bowl, whisk together the basil, cornmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, sugar and salt. Beat in the egg, buttermilk and oil until well combined. Pour into pan and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

My thoughts:

I've gone mini loaf crazy after buying my pan this winter. I love being able to make a set of loaves and having one to eat (you can get quite a few servings out of one loaf) and three more to freeze or to give to friends. It really solves the food blogger problem of making food one day then trying another recipe the next day, you end up overwhelmed with leftovers. You could freeze half a loaf but the mini loaves are just perfectly sized and defrost well. Anyway, generally I a bit of a cornbread purist but I can't help but experiment. I love using olive oil in baked good when it makes sense and adds something to the final dish. In this bread, as in with lots of Italian food, olive oil pairs well with basil, and adds a fruity note. I liked the contrast of the earthy basil and the sweet corn a lot, it is a combination I will have to explore some more.

Tangerine Cranberry Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 1/3 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup tangerine juice
2 tablespoons tangerine zest
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour or spray with baking spray 1 loaf pan or one mini loaf pan that makes 4 one cup loaves. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together the zest, egg, oil, juice, sour cream and buttermilk until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a uniform batter forms. Fold in the cranberries. Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 30 minutes (in either sized pan) or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, then remove to cool completely.

My thoughts:

I bought this mini loaf pan a while back and was excited to finally use it! I had the worst time finding the right pan. I wanted one pan with wells rather than separate small pans. I didn't want to make tiny individual sized loaves. I also didn't want to have to scale down my recipes in a complicated way or if I shared recipes for it, I didn't want to have to force people to buy a specific pan. You wouldn't believe how widely the mini loaf pans varied in size, shape and design. I decided on this one because it has four, one cup wells. A standard loaf pan holds 4 cups. That way I could make any recipe I've made in a standard pan in it and vice versa. I love that the loaves are big enough to share and get several good slices out of it. The loaves cooked very evenly and slide out of the pan easily.

I've been making a homemade gift for our neighbors for the last couple of years (different flavored nuts and then mustard) and this year I thought I'd bake a trio of quick breads to give, two sweet and one savory. The best part is that since I give three neighbors gifts and the pan makes 4 loaves of bread, we get to keep a loaf of each! I love tangerines and they are at their peak right now. They were very sweet so I paired them with tart cranberries to keep it from wandering too far into cake territory.

Pear & Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup pureed Bosc pears
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg, at room temperature
5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 thin (vertically) sliced pears, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour or spray (with baking spray with flour) 1 loaf pan. In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the buttermilk, egg and pear, mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add flour, baking powder, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Fold in cranberries. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Top with 2 thin slices of pear if desired.



Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan about 5 minutes then invert to a wire rack.



Note: Peel and core pears before pureeing. It takes roughly 2 pears to make 3/4 cup puree. Don't worry about it being perfectly smooth, some small lumps are just fine.

My thoughts:

After making the truly divine blueberry goat cheese muffins this summer, I kept thinking about other baked goods that would be improved by using homemade fruit purees. I just love how using puree spreads the flavor throughout the baked good rather than just having suspended bites of fruit which, while tasty, leaves some bites fruit-free. I had a ton of pears leftover from a recipe development gig so I wanted to use them up in a new way. I love both cranberries and pears so I thought a quick bread marrying the two would be a great idea. While I have made muffins using chunks of pears that were quite good, I thought an even better way to get a true pear flavor would be to puree the fruit and fold it into the batter. I was right. Rather than fading into the background, the pear is every bit as present as the tart cranberries. The pureed pears also make the bread incredibly moist.

Pumpkin Coconut Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 egg, at room temperature
5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour or spray (with baking spray with flour) 1 loaf pan. In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the coconut milk, egg and pumpkin, mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with coconut if desired. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan about 5 minutes then invert to a wire rack.

My thoughts:

It has been an incredibly long time since I've made a quick bread. Looking back through the archives, I see that I made a lot of them back in 2007 but the last couple years have been filled mainly with muffins and yeast raised doughs. But! I have nothing against the quick bread so here I am with a new recipe. I personally abhor pumpkin pie (it is one of the three foods I refuse to eat under any circumstances) but I don't mind actual pumpkin so every year I try and find new non-pumpkin pie-y ways to use it. I've made pumpkin muffins, pumpkin corn bread, pumpkin pancakes and my favorite: pumpkin cheesecake brownies. This bread creeps a bit into the "dessert for breakfast" category but makes a great snack! Coconut and pumpkin go together suprisingly well and the bread is rich and very moist.

Classic Northern Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup polenta
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray with baking spray or grease an 8x8 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, polenta, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, buttermilk and canola oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs. Cool on a wire rack.

My thoughts:

In the North, sweet cornbread reigns supreme while in the South, a more savory cornbread prevails. For this cornbread on impluse, I stirred in some polenta (coarse cornmeal) for some texture interest and I really enjoyed how it turned out.

Bacon Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup crumbled center cut bacon (about 4-5 slices)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Grease or spray one 8x8 baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Beat in the egg, milk and oil until well combined. Fold in bacon. Pour into pan and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Note: If your bacon is exceptionally fatty, you might want to use just the meatier portions in this recipe or your cornbread will turn out unappetizingly greasy.

My thoughts:

Bacon studded cornbread and even a version cornbread made with bacon grease instead of oil (but no bacon bits) is a classic Southern quick bread. There are a few variations, including some that include corn kernels or honey but this is my favorite. It has a lot of flavor and is surprisingly not heavy tasting. In this version the bacon is at center stage and provides a great salty-smoky contrast to the lightly sweetened bread.

Rosemary & Olive Oil Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray one 8x8 baking pan or an 8 inch pie tin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rosemary, cornmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, sugar and salt. Beat in the egg, buttermilk and oil until well combined. Pour into pan and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

My thoughts:

Noticing a theme? $1 bought us the largest bunch of rosemary I have ever seen and I am trying to think of new ways to use it all up. I always think of rosemary as sort of a rustic flavor-very woodsy-and thought that slightly sweet corn would make a good foil. I love the results, the rosemary flavor really spread throughout the cornbread without being overpowering.

Hot Pepper Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, minced, seeds discarded
1 fresh pepperincini, minced, seeds discarded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Grease or spray with baking spray one 8x8 baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peppers, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat in the egg, milk, buttermilk and oil until well combined. Pour into pan and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

My thoughts:

Making the fried green tomatoes sparked a renewed interest in Southern style cooking. I had the urge to make cornbread and since our garden is overflowing with 3 types of hot peppers, I thought I'd make a spicy version. I was pleased with how it came out, homey but with just enough of a kick from the peppers to keep it interesting. The peppers are well distributed throughout the batter, so there are no fiery pockets, just a overall background note of heat that I think even the hot pepper wary could appreciate.

Buttermilk Apple Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup cubed apple*
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 egg


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour one standard loaf pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, brown sugar, salt, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and baking soda. Then mix in the egg, buttermilk, and oil. Stir until a thick batter forms. Fold in the apple. Pour into the prepared pan and bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

*I used Cripps Pink apples, if you are using a tart apple like a Granny Smith, you might want to add a little more sugar.

My thoughts:

Quick bread indeed. I was trying to decide what to do with the leftovers of 1/2 gallon of buttermilk I bought to use when I made sherbet and blue cheese dressing a couple of weeks ago. The expiration date is Friday and I didn't want it to go to waste. So at about 1 PM, I went into the kitchen took a look at what ingredients I had on hand, and by 1:45PM I was taking this bread out of the oven. The apples add sweetness and moisture to the bread, so you don't need to add much oil or sugar and the whole wheat flour and the low fat buttermilk makes it pretty healthy all around. Of course, I still have about quart left of the buttermilk, so you might be seeing it again. A half gallon really is a lot!

Poppy Seed Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Grease or spray one 8x8 baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the poppy seeds, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Beat in the egg, milk and oil until well combined. Pour into pan and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

My thoughts:

I don't know why I didn't think of making poppy seed cornbread before last night. The seeds add a bit of crunch and texture diversity without taking away from the simple pleasure of cornbread.

Mango Coconut Bread

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
2 cups diced mango
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup flaked coconut
2 inch knob fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
dash salt
juice and zest of 1/2 lime

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour or spray with baking spray one loaf pan. In a small bowl, toss the mango in the lime juice, set aside. Whisk together coconut, flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Set aside. Beat together eggs, oil, brown sugar, ginger and zest. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Gently fold in the mango. Pour into prepare pan and bake 1 hour*. Lower the temperature to 325 and bake an additional 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out just about clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then remove from pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.

*The bread will puff up a lot, but don't be alarmed. It shouldn't overflow, it is a rather thick batter.

My thoughts:

I really enjoy tropical flavors during the cold months, it seems to help keep winter chills at bay. While I had never made (or even eaten) a mango bread before it seemed logical. I love mangos and always think I should bake with them more often. This bread reaffirmed that, it turned out really moist and flavorful. There is also just enough coconut to add some flavor and texture interest, not enough to make it chewy like a macaroon. The ginger and lime are classic combination and really bring out the mango's lush flavor. Delicious and little unexpected.

Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 1/4 cup cranberries, chopped
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon rosewater

1 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour one large loaf pan or two smaller pans. Beat together the eggs and sugar. Add the rosewater, lemon zest, butter and milk and stir. Slowly stir in the baking soda, baking powder, salt,mace and flour. Mix until just combined. Fold in cranberries and pour into prepare pan(s). Bake for about 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then invert and continue to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My thoughts:

This is a surprisingly mild cranberry bread, the rosewater and zest sort of even out the tartness without being sweet. Perfect for breakfast.

Carrot Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated, raw zucchini
1 cup carrot, grated
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour or 1 1/2 cups AP flour and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts*

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour or spray with cooking spray with flour two loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, oil, zucchini, carrot and vanilla. Mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add to zucchini/carrot mixture. Mix until well combined then fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 1 hour. Cool on rack for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Delicious warm or at room temperature.

*optional, I personally enjoy my bread walnut free. In baked goods, walnuts kind of remind me of baby teeth.

My thoughts:

If zucchini bread is good, then carrot zucchini bread is even better. Just as moist but with pretty orange flecks and hint of sweetness. Very good spread with cream cheese.

Cranberry-Blueberry Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cranberries*
3/4 cup blueberries*
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs, at room temperature
5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour or use cooking spray with flour one loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and sour cream, combine thoroughly. Add the flour and baking powder, mix thoroughly. Slowly fold in both berries. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out basically clean. Place on a wire rack to cool, removing the bread from the pan after about 10 minutes. After removing the bread, continue to cool about 15 additional minutes.




*If the berries are frozen and not fresh, be sure not to defrost them. The colors will run in the batter if they are defrosted.

My thoughts:

I wanted to make something patriotic this year for the fourth of July and what is more American than quick bread? The cranberries and blueberries provide the red and the blue and the simple batter the white. Luckily, it was so hot today, I didn't even notice the heat from the oven.

Yogurt Herb Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour or spray with cooking spray (with flour) one loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the melted butter, yogurt, eggs, dill, tarragon, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Pour into flour mixture and mix until well combined and it forms a fairly thick dough, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepare pan and bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and dry. Allow to cool in pan about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack and allow it to continue to cool. Slice and serve.

My thoughts:

I had never made such a savory quick bread until today but I am pleased with how well it came out. The dill and yogurt combination is a good one. The yogurt gives it a nice tang and almost yeasty flavor that most quick breads don't have on account of not having, you know, yeast. I also added that 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour to give it a more wholesome edge but really, I am not a whole wheat flour kind of girl. About 1/2 cup is about all I can take at a time. With this bread I am most proud that I was able to come up with a recipe that rose and tasted good and only yielded one loaf using yogurt, some thing I normally don't use much of in my baking. The good thing about only posting recipes that I have developed myself is that it constantly forces me to come up with new ideas all the time. Luckily, I haven't had a recipe fail yet or I'd be wasting all kinds of time and ingredients.