Observer Online | Quick Bread Recipes Perfect for Wintry Days

Posted March 9, 2007

Quick Bread Recipes Perfect for Wintry Days
Take a leisurely stroll down a snack aisle at the supermarket, and the cereal bars, snack cakes and snack bars will leap into your cart if you are shopping with a child (or a husband who likes to snack.) From Little Debbies to Hostess to store brand treats, they all look and taste delicious; however most are loaded with a large dose of saturated fats, corn syrup and salt. Even the popular “low fat” varieties have a whopping list of additives, even though they still taste good and have less guilt.
With two teenage boys in my family, I needed a healthy snack on hand after school and winter workouts, so I started making quick breads. While I would prefer they eat a banana or an orange, or a peanut butter and pure fruit jelly sandwich, they are not particularly thrilled with that idea. They are thinking cake or cookies, the ooey-gooey kind. I needed a compromise, and quick. They still turn their noses up at whole-grain flours, but that is a battle for another day. The sweet quick breads are a healthier middle ground, and they cost less than store-bought processed snacks.
The next challenge was finding time to make them. Most of these recipes are easy to assemble, and take about 25 to 30 minutes in the oven. But the best quality is that they all freeze well. One Saturday morning, I doubled a batch of pumpkin bread, baked it and froze what we were not going to inhale in the next 30 minutes. It worked. The next Saturday morning, I chose another recipe, banana bread, and did the same. As the Saturdays went by, we now have an assortment of quick breads in our freezer, ready to go. Better yet, the friends of my teens that are frequently over at our house have started asking their mothers to make these breads, too. If you want to impress your out-of-town guests, bake these breads in a mini-loaf size. Just thaw an assortment of mini-loaves and serve with fresh fruit, and your guests can help themselves. These breads go perfect with a flavored cream cheese or a whipped plain cream cheese.
One more hint with quick breads is that they will keep best when they are well-wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for about a week, or wrap well and freeze for up to a month. Just before serving, they can be reheated gently in a microwave. These breads will quickly go stale or spoil if left unwrapped on a counter. Sealable freezer bags work the best.
Over the years I have tried many banana bread recipes, and my favorite remains Joya Pardo's recipe (below). It is very moist, dense and not overly sweet. It also freezes well.
A couple of years ago we had an outstanding Sweet Poppyseed Bread recipe in our cookbook, and it is now our family's favorite. The glaze is what makes this bread a winner-it is very sweet and almost calls you to come and sample a slice when it is drizzled on hot from the oven. Resist the urge to slice this bread before it cools-it is much better when it is cooled. If you try one recipe, this is the one that your kids will consume in record time. Be sure to make a double batch and hide the second loaf.

Scott Mayhugh's Sweet Poppyseed Bread
3 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 tsp. butter extract
Glaze
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. butter extract
Mix glaze ingredients and set aside to liquefy. Grease two small loaf pans. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix eggs, milk, oil, poppy seeds and extracts. Combine dry ingredients with liquid ingredients, mixing well. Pour into loaf pans, and bake at 325 degrees until toothpick comes out clean, about one hour. While still hot, poke holes in top, and pour glaze over. Let cool completely before cutting.

Joya Pardo's Best Banana Bread
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups (about 3-4 med.) bananas, mashed
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup milk, with 1 tsp. lemon juice added
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts, optional
In small bowl, combine all dry ingredients, and set aside. Combine milk and lemon juice, and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add bananas, and mash until smooth. Add vanilla. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add banana mixture, and beat until combined. Add dry ingredients, alternating with milk. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray, and then pour in batter. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees. For muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes. For a mini-loaf, bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out. Cool completely. When cool, wrap and let sit until the next day, for the best flavor.

Rhubarb Bread
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup oil
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 to 2 cups finely diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Mix together sugar and oil, and blend in egg, vanilla and milk. In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda, and add to moist ingredients. Stir in rhubarb and nuts. Divide batter between two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until bread tests done with wooden toothpick. Turn out onto a rack to cool. Makes two loaves.

Darlene's Best-Ever Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups loosely packed coarsely grated zucchini
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
In a bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Beat in sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla. Beat this mixture until thick and lemon-colored. Stir in zucchini. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Add to egg mixture and mix well. Fold in chopped walnuts. Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.

Apple Spice Raisin Bread
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup sugar plus 1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups apples, tart variety, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
5 pecan nut halves
Mix 1 cup sugar and oil. Add eggs, vanilla, apples, raisins and nuts. Stir and add flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Grease loaf pan and place wax or baking parchment paper across the bottom (this is a very moist cake and can easily break up). Pour the contents into the loaf pan, and bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. After 20 minutes, sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar over the top and place nut halves down the center. Finish baking. Take out and cool on a rack for 20 minutes, then invert and finish cooling. Store in the refrigerator.

Lemon Bread
1 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. grated fresh lemon rind
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
6 Tbsp. oil
Topping:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Juice of one large fresh lemon
Mix all bread ingredients together, and pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake one hour at 350 degrees or until done by testing with a wooden toothpick. Take a skewer, or a meat fork, and punch several hole in the top when taking it from the oven. Mix sugar and fresh lemon juice together in a small bowl. Drizzle this over the warm bread. Let it stay in the pan for about 30 minutes, until well cooled. Then remove carefully and wrap in an airtight sealable bag and refrigerate. Slice and serve when very cold. Tastes even better the second day.