Banana Bread and Cinnamon Butter

This is a wonderful bread when you have a surplus of overripe bananas!  As my bananas ripen, I throw them in the freezer, unpeeled.  When I have 6 or 7, I make this aromatic bread!  This recipe came from my friend, Jean.  She and I taught together for many years and she was always bringing in something homemade to share.  It's really tasty plain or, served with this cinnamon butter recipe I got from my cousin Deb.  Deb shared this with everyone on one of our "cousin" retreats.  She served it with pumpkin bread, which is another great choice!  Hope you enjoy one or both!

Banana Bread

1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped pecans
6 or 7 overripe bananas, mashed

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, mix.  Then add dry ingredients to mixture.  Add bananas and nuts.  Bake in tube pan at 275 degrees for 30 minutes then 325 degrees  about 45 minutes.  Serves 12.   It can also be baked in two loaf pans,  just adjust the baking time.

Cinnamon Butter
2 sticks butter
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 lb (4 cups) powdered sugar

Place all ingredients in a mixer or food processor and mix well.

Savory Breakfast Bread

I was looking for something different to serve at a family breakfast and this bread was very popular.  I served it toasted with a veggie cream cheese.  It was filling and packed with protein. 

Savory Breakfast Bread

2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced red peppers
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
2 sticks (8 ounces) softened butter
4 teaspoons whole grain mustard
10 room temperature eggs
3/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon (about 12 slices)
3 cups grated Cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

Line 2 loaf pans with parchment paper, spray with Pam, set aside.
Heat oven to 375 F.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add peppers & scallions, mix and set aside.

In separate bowl, whisk together butter & mustard.  Add eggs & whisk until thoroughly incorporated.  Add half of the flour mixture and mix just till blended.  Stir in bacon & shredded cheese.  Add remaining flour mixture and stir until combined.  Don't over mix.

Pour into pans, bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then take bread out of pan to finish cooling on a rack.  Serve warm, at room temperature or toasted.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Scrumptious Toasted Cheese & Creamy Tomato Soup

Toasted Cheese Sandwich

This is my version of a wonderful toasted cheese sandwich & tomato soup I had while in Atlanta.  It was super creamy and just delicious.  The soup is quick and easy to make.

Toasted Cheese:
Boar's Head Mild & Creamy Asiago Cheese
Boar's Head Swedish Fontina Cheese
Bread, I used an Italian loaf

Place cheeses between the bread, butter outside of bread, place in skillet & toast until cheese is melting & outside is nicely toasted.

I've added turkey as well as very thinly sliced Granny Smith apples to this sandwich with delicious results!

Creamy Tomato Soup

4 slices bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (28 ounces each) tomatoes in juice (I used Cento brand diced)
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Fry bacon until crisp, crumble & set aside.
In soup pot, use 1 Tablespoon of the bacon drippings & cook the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes & their juice, broth, sugar and black pepper; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes with cover ajar.

Puree soup with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender).  Stir in cream until incorporated & heat through.  Remove from heat; stir in vinegar.  Serve, topped with crumbled bacon.
Serves 6

Virginia Biscuits

I haven't posted in a really long time due to the fact I couldn't figure out how to access my photos after an upgrade last year!  I think I have it at this point, so here we go again!
I've been making these biscuits for years, the original recipe came from a friend of mine when we were living in Charlotte, NC.  They are wonderfully light and flaky, perfect for butter, jam or a slice of ham!  Definitely worth the splurge on calories.

Virginia Biscuits
3 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter (this is for brushing on the dough, doesn't go in the mix)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, either grease your sheet pan, or bake on parchment paper or a stone.
Sift dry ingredients into a bowl, cut in shortening until evenly distributed.  Using a fork, stir enough milk into mix to make a soft but not sticky dough.  Knead on lightly floured surface until dough is smooth & elastic.  Roll out 1/4 inch thick, brush melted butter on half the dough then fold dough over so that biscuits will open easily when baked.  Cut with small biscuit cutter & place on pan.  Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes.  Serve with additional butter, jam or a slice of ham.  I use my smallest biscuit cutter as these biscuits are rich.

Chocolate Orange Muffins

This morning as I was enjoying my coffee, I decided to make a batch of muffins. Since I haven't made any in quite a while, I decided to make something different. So what comes to mind...well chocolate of course it was then that I noticed 2 oranges from my nieces tree in Fla., innocently staring at me, at about the same time I came upon this recipe. I have no idea where it came from but it all came together for what I was craving this morning. Here it is my masterpiece!!!

2 med. oranges                              1/2 fresh o.j.

3 oz. bittersweet choc                    1/2 c yogurt, buttermilk or sour milk

1 c. sugar                                       2 c. flour

1/2 c. butter at room temp              1 tsp. baking pwd

2 eggs                                             1/2 tsp. baking soda

Oven at 375

grease muffin tin, Zest the oranges, Chop chocolate into small pieces. Beat sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix thoroughly. Add peel, O.J. and yogurt. (your mixture will look very odd and "broken" but don't worry).  Mix the flour, powder and soda together, then sprinkle flour mixture and the choc. over the batter.  Fold gently until just mixed.  Bake 20 to 25 min. or till springy. This muffin is very tender, and just delicious.!

Judy's Cornbread

My friend, Judy has always made the best cornbread and shared her recipe with me years ago. I've made it twice this week alone! I served it with red beans and rice early in the week and then with beef stew another day. It's great plain, with butter, honey or jam! The perfect comfort bread. I place my cast iron pan in the oven and heat it (425 degrees) while I'm mixing the batter. I then scrape the batter into the hot pan & place it back in the oven for 20-22 minutes.

Stir together:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add:
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup sour milk

Mix well and pour batter into the hot pan. Bake at 425 for 20-22 minutes.

Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough

1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons fast rising yeast

1 Tablespoon butter, softened
1 1/3 cups bread flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon dry milk
1 1/2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, if desired
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together the warm water & yeast, cover & let rest for 5-10 minutes. Mix rest of the ingredients together with a fork, add the water/yeast. Stir until it comes together. Turn onto a floured surface & knead for 5 minutes or so. Cover, let rise for 15 minutes or so; roll into desired shape. Makes 1 thin crust.

I put a little sauce & some pepperoni on it then bake it in a hot oven (415 degrees) for 5-8 minutes, until it begins to brown on the bottom. Remove from oven, add more sauce, if desired as well as whatever cheese(s) you desire. Return to the oven to melt cheese & finish cooking.