Pumpkin Bread

Since it's officially fall I decided to make my favorite autumn treat. The sisters I visit teach will be enjoying this tomorrow. I've always received many compliments on this bread, but I can't accept them because the recipe is not my own. It is from the original Joy of Cooking cookbook.



PUMPKIN BREAD

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
(optional: 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts
and/or 1/3 cup raisins or chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. In a large bowl, beat sugar, shortening and eggs until light and fluffy. Add and beat in pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla. Do not over-beat between each addition. Fold in the optional nuts/raisins/chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan and bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Remove loaf from pan and wrap with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

The original name for these is actually "Feather-Light Muffins,"

but I thought they tasted just like Snickerdoodle cookies, so I renamed it!

1/3 c. shortening (I used butter)

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 c. cake flour (I assumed this meant all-purpose flour)

1 1/2 teas. baking powder

1/2 teas. salt

1/4 ground nutmeg

1/2 c. milk

TOPPING:

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugar, and egg. In a seperate bowl, combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fill greased muffin tins (or paper muffin cups) 2/3 full. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll warm muffins in melted butter, then in sugar mixture. Serve warm.

Yield: 8-10 muffins

Note: These really do have a very unique, spongy texture. Tyler loves chocolate chip muffins, so I added some chocolate chips to part of the batter for him. Those turned out pretty good, but the original "Snickerdoodle" style with the cinnamon/sugar coating is best in my opinion!

Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1/3 cup water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees, Grease bottom only of loaf pan. Mix sugar and margarine in 2 1/2 quart bowl. Stir in eggs until blended. Add bananas and water; beat 30 seconds. stir in remaining ingredients except nuts just until moistened; stir in nuts. Pour into pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 8-inch loaf 1 hour and 15 minutes, 9-inch loaf 55-60 minutes; cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing. Serving size: 24 (slices)

Nutritional Information: 120 calories per slice

Notes: The best banana bread recipe hands down and I've tried several! Recipe advises not to use self-rising, however; my mom did use it one time and it turned out just fine. So if that is all you have it will do.

Resource: Betty Crocker's Cook Book, 1989