They don’t call them quick breads for nothin’! Here are a couple of recipes I’ve used to great acclaim over the years, and my source for these is my mother–a great baker in her own right. These two breads in particular have been appreciated as Christmas gifts by my own family, and I just shipped a batch of them out–they are very good travelers, and keep wonderfully moist for a long time. So if you are looking for a couple more quick gifts, these may serve!
Dawn’s Applesauce Bread
1/2 c. shortening or butter, or half and half of each
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 1/4 c. applesauce
1/2 c. walnuts (optional)
Glaze: 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar mixed with 1 T. apple juice or cider
Cream sugar with shortening till light, mix in eggs and vanilla. Whisk together dry ingredients, and mix half into the creamed mixture till blended; stir in applesauce, then follow with the rest of the dry mixture. Stir until just well blended. Pour into a 9 x 5 loaf pan, or two 7 inch loaf pans, or four 5 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for up to an hour, testing the smaller loaves beginning at 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans and glaze. Then let cool completely.
Dawn’s Banana Bread, with Christmas Bread Option
1 cup mashed ripe banana
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. buttermilk or sour milk
1 t. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar (Yep, 1 1/2 cups!)
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon (optional)
1/2 t. nutmeg (optional)
Christmas bread additions: 1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts, 1/2 c. chocolate chips, 1/2 c. dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, chopped apricots all work well)
Mix together banana, eggs, oil, milk and vanilla. Whisk together dry ingredients and combine well with the liquid mixture. Add the Christmas bread additions if desired, and pour into prepared 9 x 5 loaf pan, or two 7 inch pans, or four 5 inch pans. Bake at 350 for up to 1 hour and 15 minutes for the large loaf, and begin checking smaller loaves at 45 minutes, baking until a toothpick is clean of batter when checking for doneness. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans, then cool completely. These loaves are best served a day or more after baking.
Merry Christmas!
Comments + Reviews