Breads–Quick

Best Bran Muffins

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I’ve never understood why bran muffins get such a bad wrap.  They are tasty and healthy.  How can they miss with that combination?  Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 c. wheat bran
3/4 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 egg
1 stick of butter, melted
3 heaping T. low-fat sour cream
1 can of pears (or peaches), drained and chopped
1/2 c. molasses

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Prep muffin tin with liners or spray with cooking spray.

2.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Mix wet ingredients together, including fruit.

3.  Add wet to dry and mix until just combined.

4.  Divide among 12 muffin cups and bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Source:  sarahjio.com

French Breakfast Puffs

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I remember making a version of these delicious morsels as a teenager.  Back then I think I pulled the recipe from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook.  But recently I noticed that The Pioneer Woman had a version in her first cookbook.  My daughter decided to give them a try and they were even more delicious than I remember.

Truly, they just melt in your mouth.  I dare you to eat just one.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup milk
——–
Coating:
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
2.  In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; stir to combine and set aside.
3.  In another large bowl, cream the sugar and shortening together.  Add in the eggs and mix well to combine.
4.  To the creamed mixture add:  one-third of the flour mix, one-third of the milk.  Beat well.  Repeat until all the flour and milk have been added.
5.  Fill your muffin cups two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.  Remove the muffins from the pan and set them aside.
6.  Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a bowl (P-dub uses loaf pans and these work great!).  In another bowl (or loaf pan) combine the sugar and cinnamon.  Dip the warm muffins into the butter, completely coating each one.  Then roll the muffin in the cinnamon-sugar.

According to P-dub, these freeze well.

Source:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins (No Flour)

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I’ve been looking for more recipes that don’t include flour and/or dairy.  By way of Pinterest, I found this one!  *If you want a totally gluten-free version, simply use the gluten-free oats. =)

Ingredients:
3 Very ripe bananas, mashed 
1 C Vanilla Almond Milk (I used original flavor almond milk and it was still yummy) or cow’s milk
1 T Coconut Oil (optional: helps to moisten the oats a little more and make the outer layer crisp) 
2 Eggs
1 T Baking Powder (Yes, Tablespoon)
3 C Old Fashioned, Quick,  or Gluten-Free Oats (I know, that’s a lot of options 😉
1 tsp Vanilla
As many MINI chocolate chips as you like (I used about 1/2 C)
PREHEAT OVEN TO 375* (I put that in bold type because I seem to always forget this step)
First, mash your bananas

Mix together all of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips and 
let the batter sit while you’re preparing the muffin tins. 
*This is really important in this recipe because it gives the oats a chance to release their natural thickening agent.* I was AMAZED at how these turned out looking like I had added flour.  

Spray your muffin tin with non-stick spray or use muffin liners. 
Give your batter another quick stir as you add the chocolate chips.
Evenly divide the batter into approximately 15-18 muffins.  (Or 6 mini bundt ca)
Bake 20-30 minutes. My first time making this recipe I used regular muffin tins with liners. You can attempt to eat them while they’re hot, but the muffin liners may not come off very easily.  You’ll definitely have a better time getting them off when they’re cool.  
Have I mentioned what a great texture these guys have?  Great texture. 
*Adapted from Green Lite Bites Banana Oatmeal Cups with Chocolate Chips

Banana Date Muffins

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I’m always looking for good recipes to use dates in because I ALWAYS have dates on hand for these.  I guess it’s not a bad thing to only eat dates paired with bacon.  However, I’m trying to branch out.  These were easy to make and tasted yummy!

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil (next time I’ll try replacing the oil with applesauce)
2 eggs
3/4 -1 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. of cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Lightly grease a muffin pan and set aside; you could also use baking cups if you like. 
2.  Mash bananas with a fork and mix well with remaining wet ingredients.  In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients until just combined.
3.  Fill muffin cups 1/2-2/3 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until done.
4.  Serve muffins with butter/jam or dress them up with some cream cheese frosting!

*While I thought these were moist and delicious, they tasted pretty close to regular banana muffins.  The date flavor was very mild.  Next time I make them I’m going to add at least 1 1/4 cups of chopped dates.

Source: Nigella.com

Grandma’s Banana Bread

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I’m a simplest when it comes to Banana Bread. No spices, nuts, or chocolate. Just bananas. This recipe is a winner. It’s my grandmas, probably my great-grandma’s. You can’t go wrong with a recipe that has been passed down generations.


Grandma’s Banana Bread 

Ingredients
1 stick margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 large mashed ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Directions
-Cream margarine and sugar, add eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy, add mashed bananas.
-Mix the flour, salt, and soda together and add to the banana mixture. Mix well.
-Bake in sprayed loaf pan at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Mini loaves take about 30 minutes.

Sour Cream Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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Admittedly, this recipe is similar to some previous postings: Anne’s Banana Chocolate Chip Bread and Julie’s Banana Sour Cream Muffins. But since this recipe has sour cream and chocolate, I guess you could say it’s a great combination of the two! If you’d like to lessen the fat by replacing the sour cream with yogurt, you may be interested in viewing this article beforehand.

Ingredients:
non-stick cooking spray
1 stick of salted butter, softened to room temp.
1/2 C sugar
1 egg
2 large or 2.5 small ripened bananas, mashed
1/2 C sour cream
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
2 T cocoa powder
1 C flour
1 C mini (or regular) chocolate chips
1/2 C chopped walnuts (opt.)
1. {Mash your bananas if you haven’t already.} Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan–or 2 mini pans–with non-stick cooking spray (I recommend the type with flour in it).
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in egg, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla until well blended.
3. Add baking soda, cocoa, and flour. Mix everything until well incorporated (about 3 minutes in a KitchenAid mixer).
4. Add chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Pour batter into loaf pan(s) and bake 50 min.-1 hour. (This loaf took around an hour and 10 minutes.)
6. Insert tooth pick in center of loaf; the bread is done when the tooth pick comes out clean. Remove from heat and allow bread to rest in the loaf pan for 10 minutes.
7. Remove bread to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Source: I found this on Pinterest, originally posted by Alice to savorysweetlife.com

7 Up Biscuits

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I have always wanted to learn how to make a good, “from scratch” biscuit. This recipe caught my eye because the biscuits not only looked great, but only requires 4 ingredients! Looks like lots of effort, right?

Ingredients:

2 cups baking mix (Jiffy or Bisquick)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 7 Up
1/4 cup melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut sour cream into biscuit mix.

3. Stir in 1/2 cup 7 Up. The dough will be very soft.

4. Sprinkle additional baking mix on to your counter. Knead and fold dough until covered in your baking mix. Pat dough out and cut biscuits using a round biscuit/cookie cutter.

5. Melt butter in a 9 inch square pan.

6. Place cut biscuits on top of melted butter and bake for 12-15 minutes or until brown.

Best Ever Biscuits

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Did you ever have a day when you “needed” comfort food? This has been my day and one of those foods for me is a light, flaky biscuit.

I love biscuits! You can make them savory with garlic, cheese and other spices, sweet with Cinnamon sugar etc., or “original”. This is one of the best recipes that I have tried so far. This is my daughter’s recipe. The low fat version is the outcome of a conversation that I had with a lady handing out samples at Sam’s (thank you) and of course some trial and error. The low fat version is noted with the original recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp butter(real – butter) – for low fat otion – 1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil or melted butter with 2 tbsp Applesauce
1 cup milk or buttermilk – for low fat option increase milk by 1/4 cup

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl
2. Using pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into dry ingredients
3. Add milk and stir until blended and soft dough forms
4. Pat dough out onto floured surface.
5. Using Biscuit Cutter or top of a drinking glass, cut into shapes and place on an un-greased cookie sheet
6. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until tops are a light golden brown

Source: a Jessica and Jennie original

Sweet Potato Bread

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Happy New Year, Everyone! Having a New Year’s Eve party? Try serving this yummy quick bread; it’s full of flavor. The taste reminds me more of Amish Friendship Bread than of sweet potato, but the yams make it healthier–or at least make you think it is so you don’t feel as guilty when you eat half a loaf in one day…

Ingredients:
3 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground allspice
1/2 t ground cloves
3 C white sugar, plus topping
4 eggs
1 C vegetable oil
3/4 C orange juice
2 C mashed sweet potatoes aka yams (I used canned; see link below for instructions on how to use from fresh)
1. If you haven’t already done so, mash the sweet potatoes in a bowl with a flat bottom using a potato masher. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix most of your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, eggs, and oil. Stir in orange juice and sweet potatoes. Stir flour mixture into egg/sweet potato mixture until just combined.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour 25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. (This recipe yields 2 9×5 loaves. If you’re making mini loaves like I did, check them after 30 minutes.)
Source: lightly adapted from Sweet Potato Bread II as submitted to Allrecipes.com by Umm Asiyah

Real Banana Muffins

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I guess its the “purist” in me that loves these Banana Muffins, because they taste like bananas! Don’t get me wrong, I like the traditional banana bread. But, this,…its just so great! The muffins are moist, and the flavor of the banana is awesome! These would be great to serve for breakfast over the holiday vacation!
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, 2 mashed & one chunked
1-1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in 2 mashed bananas and mix well. Add flour and baking soda, stirring enough to moisten. Stir in 1 chunked banana. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Start watching at 25 minute mark and check with toothpick to see if its done.

Recipe adapted from Stephanie Daniels