Royal Banana Bread

As pretty to serve as it is delicious to eat,
Royal Banana bread is fit for a king!

Royal Banana Bread

Bananas are in season during December and January, and sad to say, overripe bananas are all too common. We keep our homes warm, which hastens ripening. Luckily, banana bread is one way to make good use of the overripe fruit.

Bananas can be hard to pair with a spice; there are too many spices that overpower the banana flavor. One product that is tried, true and found to enhance bananas is dark rum. Think Bananas Foster and you have the right idea.

This recipe for banana bread uses red and green candied cherries and your choice of either candied citron or pineapple soaked in dark rum as inclusions. The alcohol bakes out of the bread, but the rum flavor remains. The use of light brown sugar also creates some caramel notes in throughout the bread.

Serve slices plain, with cream cheese or with butter. This bread also freezes very well, so if you have a lot of bananas or loaded up on candied fruit after Christmas, bake several loaves, freeze them and enjoy this delightful bread throughout the year.

Royal Banana Bread
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. banana pulp (approx. 3 very ripe bananas)
1/3 c. melted butter (no substitutes)
1/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 c. mixed red and green candied cherries, citron and pineapple
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. good quality dark rum

Place candied fruit in a small bowl. Pour rum over fruit and cover. Allow to soak at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 bread pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Place melted butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl, beat together until sugar is well dissolved. Add eggs, and beat on medium speed for one minute.

Add flour mixture slowly, then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Sprinkle and toss candied fruit with 1/4 c. flour. Gently fold fruit and any remaining rum into the batter. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean and the bread begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan on a baking rack, then remove and allow to cool completely for an hour before slicing.

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

No one has to know that this is made with zucchini!

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

The holiday season is the season for chocolate. It's also the season we start to use all of those fruits and veggies we have canned, frozen or preserved during the summer. This chocolate fudge cake combines the best of both; it has a rich, chocolate flavor, and its incredible moistness comes thanks to the inclusion of shredded, frozen zucchini squash. The squash is undetectable, so even veggie haters will relish this cake.

In addition, this recipe requires only two pieces of equipment: one medium mixing bowl for the dry ingredients and a food processor that holds at least 11 cups. The recipe is a gem when it comes to easy preparation and clean up.

This recipe creates enough batter for a three-layer cake, but because it really needs no frosting, I prefer baking it in a Bundt pan or tube pan. This makes 12 - 16 hefty slices.

The cake freezes well, making it ideal for baking ahead and serving when time is short but the craving for something sweet is not.


Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake


3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. baking cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. butter (no substitutes), softened to room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream
2 1/2 c. granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Measure flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together until dry ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Using the blade attachment in the food processor, add the zucchini to the bowl. Puree on high speed. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla; pulse together until mixture is well blended. Add granulated sugar and butter, one tablespoon at a time; process until butter is incorporated. Add in dry ingredients, pulse to incorporate, then process for two minutes until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated and batter is smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" Bundt or tube pan with a nonstick spray for baking. Pour batter evenly into pan; shake to eliminate air bubbles. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean and edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before releasing from pan.

Golden Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Now that it's the holiday season and the outside temperature is a good reason to light a fire in the wood burning stove, it is also a good time to bake yeast bread. Yeast dough rises perfectly in a warm, moist environment; a wood stove and stainless steel pan of water help to create this environment that also is quite comfy for humans and cats.

I happen to love whole grain breads, and this loaf not only has a wealth of wheat flavor but bakes to a lovely brown color. The extra pizazz added by braiding the dough adds a lightly festive touch to it all. The addition of honey rather than granulated sugar adds a depth of flavor that is unique, and it also creates a baked good that is light rather than dense.

Although this is not a sweet bread, it is a treat. Slather a thick slice with real butter or cream cheese and enjoy with a cup of hot tea.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

1 pk. (2 1/4 tsp) dry yeast
1 c. all purpose flour
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 large whole egg
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. golden honey
1 c. warm water


In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flours and salt. Measure one cup of dry mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in yeast and blend at lowest speed.

In a microwave-proof measuring cup or glass bowl, heat water, oil and honey together for 1-2 minutes or until liquid reaches 165 degrees. With blade turning slowly on the mixer, add warm liquid. Beat on low-medium speed for 5 minutes.

Add in the rest of the flour mixture and egg. Beat using blade until thoroughly mixed, then switch to dough hook. Blend until dough forms a ball and clears the edges of the mixing bowl.

Using vegetable oil pan spray, grease the inside of a large bowl. Turn dough out of the mixing bowl into the greased bowl, greasing the top and sides of the dough. Moisten several paper towels and cover the mixing bowl. Place dough in a warm, draft-free area (85 - 100 degrees is best) to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Punch down dough after it has risen, and separate into three pieces that are equal in size. Using your hands, shape each piece into a 14" long rope. Braid the ropes together on a nonstick surface (parchment paper is excellent). Tuck the ends under, and place braid into the loaf pan. Cover with moistened paper towels and allow to rise a second time, about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place loaf, uncovered, into oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Holiday Favorites: Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

Soft, chewy and highly dunkable gingerbread cutout cookies

Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

At least once during the Christmas season, the entire family will be involved in making cutout cookies. Mixing, rolling out the dough, testing out the most recently acquired cookie cutter and then frosting and decorating the finished cookies take up the better part of a snowy Saturday.

These gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy and warm with the flavors of ginger and cinnamon. They can be left plain, frosted with buttercream or topped with royal icing and adorned with any number of finishing touches - sprinkles, dragees, sparkling sugars or crushed candies. Let little hands and imaginations go wild and forget about "perfection"; the end results will be an afternoon of incessant chatter, flour-drenched clothing and a plate of cookies that will end up as unique as the family members who created it.

Traditional Gingerbread Cutouts

3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. vegetable shortening
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. mild molasses
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Melt butter and shortening together and pour into large mixing bowl. Add sugars and molasses and stir together. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to allow sugars to dissolve into the melted butter.

Add a third of the flour mixture and use a hand mixer to slowly beat into the butter. Beat in egg. Slowly incorporate the rest of the flour, beating just until blended.

Divide dough in half and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough to 1/4" thick on lightly floured surface. Cut out with cookie cutters and place 1" apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 9 - 11 minutes, rotating sheets from bottom rack to top and vice-versa halfway through baking to prevent overbrowning. Allow to cool completely before frosting.  Makes 2 1/2 dozen, using 3" cookie cutters.

Tips:
Molasses has a slightly bitter taste that some people don't like. Dark corn syrup or dark honey (buckwheat or alfalfa) can be substituted for the molasses.

Use essential oils instead of ground spices for a more intense flavor. 1/2 tsp. ginger oil and 3 - 4 drops of cinnamon easily flavor a batch. The cookies will be a lighter color than those made with ground spices.  Essential oils can be found in the cake decorating section of Meijers or online at Amazon.com or from Lorann Oils.