Irish Soda Bread

I know, I know: I'm almost a week behind the whole St. Patrick's Day bandwagon.

But it's never too late for a new bread recipe, right? And a bread recipe that requires no rising? I'm all over it.

Enter Irish Soda Bread. I was put to task to bake this sweet, raisin-studded bread for our local food co-op's Spring Open House. I'm not sure what possessed me to volunteer for a baked good that I'd never made before, but I'm so very glad I did.

Here's the run-down on this luck o' the Irish loaf:

• It's super-easy: Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter, mix-in wet ingredients. Voila!
• It's dense n' moist--easy to cut, perfect texture
• It's just sweet enough. It'll curb your crave for sugar, without doing the damage of a Cookie Dough Blizzard (although, I'm not necessarily opposed to Blizzard-related body damage)
• The raisins are a tasty addition. How do I know? Adam refuses to eat baked goods with raisins baked in (weirdo, right?)...but he loved every last crumb of this lucky loaf :)
  
• It tastes DELICIOUS! This is really the only bullet point you need.

So friends, while green beer may be last week's news, and meaty Irish stew is so out-of-style, the goodness of Irish Soda Bread comes all year long.

Irish Soda Bread

(adapted from this original recipe found at Foodnetwork.com)

My favorite way to eat this bread is spread with a thin layer of butter on each slice. The original recipe also calls for Caraway seeds--I opted out because I'm not a huge Caraway fan. But if you're a Caraway-lovin' gal (or guy), go for it!

Ingredients:

• 2 - 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 - 1/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg white

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is course and crumbly. Stir in raisins. Beat in milk and egg white until thoroughly combined. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

3) It's really that easy!

Chocolate Bread...Forgotten

Friends, I have a bit of a problem today.

My problem comes in the form of Monet's rich, moist, milk chocolate-studded chocolate bread.

I know what you're thinking: "Kylie--That's just the kind of problem I'd like to have!"

Under normal circumstances I would completely agree with you.

This bread, however, was intended for my in-laws. Adam headed North early this morning for a few days of male bonding with his dad. You know--hanging out in the woods in sub-freezing temperatures, hunting for furry, defenseless creatures, coming inside occasionally for a beer and a game of darts.

Can you smell the testosterone?

While I have no regrets about being excluded from this annual bonding ritual, I do miss visiting his parents, who we only get to visit a few times a year. Since I won't be seeing them until Christmas, I wanted to send warm wishes (and a little WV love) in the form of baked treats this week.

Enter Monet's magnificent bread.

The bread was baked, sliced, and neatly packaged. Over-flowing with milk chocolate chips, and screaming to have a slather of peanut butter on each slice, I placed the travel-ready bread on the table to be packed in the car with Adam's hunting gear.

Naturally, about an hour after Adam's departure, I noticed the bread sitting on the table.

Oh, dear.

I had a slice (or two) with my lunch, and I owe Monet many thanks for the recipe--I'll definitely be making mini loaves of it to go with my holiday cookie plates.

But I can't hide my disappointment with forgetting to pack it. Looks like I'll have to make double the treats at Christmas to make up for the forgotten bread :)

Dark Chocolate Bread

(recipe from Monet at Anecdotes and Apple Cores)

This bread is just wonderful--especially with Monet's recommendation of peanut butter on top. The best part though, is the milk chocolate chips sprinkled throughout.

Ingredients:

3/4 cups brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 - 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 - 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside.

2) In a large bowl combine dry ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry while your electric mixer is turn on medium-low. Mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips

3) Bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (as a rule, I always start checking quick breads about 8 minutes early, just to be safe!).

4) For serving, spread your slice with natural peanut butter

*A variation I might try for my Christmas loaves: 1 tsp. of mint extract into the batter, mint chocolate chips, and a drizzle of melted mint chocolate chips on top.

Health Loaf Love

This week I was craving a treat that Adam begrudgingly refers to as a "Health Loaf." Translation: A low-fat, low-sugar quick bread loaded with fiber, fruit, and nuts.

Needless to say Health Loaves don't fall at the top of the man's favorite foods list. He's more inclined to opt for cheesecake.

Me, on the other hand? I LOVE a big ol' slice of Health Loaf (although, I prefer to call them by their true names--e.g., Pumpkin-Walnut Bread). Perfect for a breakfast side dish or a snack, a slice of healthy quick bread satisfies my craving for a baked treat without doing the damage of Metabolism Man's cheesecake.

One of the first places I turn for baking inspriation is Joy's blog. This lady has it going on in the kitchen. Last week she shared a heavenly recipe for Apple-Cranberry-Pecan-Everything Bread. This baby was moist, rich in flavor, and screamed from the pan "I taste like the holidays!"

I managed to morph Joy's wonderful recipe into a tasty, filling Health Loaf that even Adam enjoyed. (Although, his enjoyment might have something to do with the Nutella he smothered on his slice.). To health-i-fy the bread, I almost completely eliminated the oil, cut the sugar in half, and increased the amount of apples, among other changes. I like each to eat my slices plain n' simple, with a little spread of Smart Balance.

Today, let's raise our glasses to all the Health Loaves out there. They deserve a little lovin' every now and then.

What's your favorite quick bread to make? If you have a favorite Health Loaf recipe, please post the link below!

Pumpkin-Apple-Cranberry-Pecan Bread

(adapted from Joy's recipe)

This fruit n' nut loaded bread has completely hit the spot for me this week. Lots of spices, apple chunks, and toasted pecans lend it the perfect holiday flavor...in health loaf form :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I cut the sugar in half! Tastes perfect to me, but if you prefer it sweeter, by all means go for the full cup. But remember folks...it is a health bread.)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt (I topped off the 1/2 measuring cup with canola oil though--probably about 2 TBSP total)
• 3 - 4 TBSP maple syrup
• 3 TBSP water
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans (MUST toast 'em!)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 apples, diced

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, yogurt, maple syrup, and water. Gently add to dry ingredients, stirring until just mixed. Fold in pecans, cranberries, and apples.

3) Bake for approximately 60 minutes (I think mine was done at about 56 minutes), or until lightly browned and firm. This guy has a strange texture that I love :) Not a moist crumb like non-healthified breads, but rather a dense, smooth texture.

Chunky Monkey Bread

Let's face it: I'm bananas about chocolate + peanut butter.

Bananas?

Why didn't I think of this before? Chocolate + peanut butter + bananas.

My first experience with this terrific trio was Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream (Banana ice cream with fudge and walnuts). Although I haven't had it for years, I have fond memories of eating it out of the carton at high school slumber parties (it often made an appearance after 11:00pm....when the first movie screening of "Happy Gilmore" or "American Pie" was over for the evening).

Convert Ben & Jerry's brilliant flavor creations into loaf form, and you've got Chunky Monkey Bread.

I was inspired to make this bread after Cooking Light did a feature spread on banana bread last month. They boasted a Peanut Butter Banana Bread, as well as a Chocolate Banana Bread, but why not combine the two?

One tidbit of advice I recommend for this recipe is coarsely chopping the chocolate chips--it distributes more chocolate throughout the batter, and in what universe is that not a good thing?

My best serving suggestion is to top your slice of Chunky Monkey bread with some natural peanut butter and sliced bananas. I apologize for forgetting to snap a picture of my loaded-up slice before I ate it (the rest of this loaf is being shipped off to Wisconsin and Virginia for my two pregnant friends. When you're eating for two, you definitely can't get enough chocolate + peanut butter + banana in your life).

Enough talk though. Let's get our Chunky Monkey on.

Chunky Monkey Bread

(a recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

Just when you thought it didn't get any better than chocolate + peanut butter...we went and added bananas to the mix. I recommend topping your slice of bread with natural peanut butter and banana slices. But Nutella would work, too :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe banana
• 1/3 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
• 1/3 cup all-natural chunky peanut butter
• 3 TBSP canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips, coarsely chopped
• Optional: natural peanut butter and sliced bananas to serve (Nutella would be tasty, too)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) Combine banana, yogurt, peanut butter, oil, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add white and brown sugar and beat until combined.

3) Combine flour, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in pecans and chopped chocolate with a spoon. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4) Allow bread to cool. To serve, smooth some peanut butter on your slice and top with sliced banana.

Pumpkin Head, Pumpkin Bread

I’ve been waiting patiently (or, not-so-patiently) the entire month of September for pumpkin to arrive in Morgantown grocery stores.

Living pumpkin-less for the better part of this month, I’ve resorted to ogling the tempting images of mouth-watering pumpkin treats posted by fellow food bloggers--pumpkin breakfast oats, pumpkin chocolate energy bars, pumpkin cookies...and the list goes on.

But alas! Sunday, in a last-ditch effort to complete my pumpkin hunt at the 4th grocery store of the weekend, we found a small, picked over shelf of Libby’s pumpkin. A tiny, pitiful sign accompanied the shelf, noting “Pumpkin: Limited Quantity.” No kidding.

Needless to say we purchased 4 of the jumbo cans. I left two on the shelf for the next desperate baker to snatch up.

I wasted no time putting my pumpkin to good use. First on the recipe list? Healthy, hearty, and oh-so-nutty pumpkin bread.

My favorite almost-fat-free pumpkin bread recipe comes from Susan at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. While the bread would be virtually fat-free, I prefer to add a heavy dose of chopped walnuts to the batter, eliminating the “fat free” part, but (in my opinion), enhancing the healthiness factor with those awesome omega-3s. As a side note, I also reduced the sugar in Susan's recipe by 1/2 cup.

Thus, the Great Pumpkin Crave of September 2010 has calmed; the appetite has been satisfied.

And with an added piece of pumpkin goodness to my morning eats, it looks like my breakfast just got a little bigger :)

Pumpkin Bread (the healthy version)

(adapted from Susan's recipe for Oil-Free Pumpkin Bread at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen)

This is a tasty, low-fat recipe that satisfies my pumpkin craving at breakfast like no other.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar (Susan's recipe calls for 1 -1/2 cups, if you prefer a sweeter bread)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup water
• Egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs (I just used 2 eggs!)
• 1 - 2/3 cups flour (I used a mixture of whole wheat flour with unbleached all-purpose flour)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice
• some orange zest (I didn't measure! Just mixed a little zest from a fresh orange right in!)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) Beat the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients (except the walnuts and cranberries). Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold in walnuts, cranberries, and orange zest.

3) Bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (mine loaf was finished in 65 minutes).