ZUCCHINI BREAD

ZUCCHINI BREAD

I love the smell of freshly baked holiday-style loafs and cakes, and this one is one of my all time favourites (right up there with bananna nut bread and carrot cake). There is just something about the sweet cinnamon & clove aromas that just say to me, "Thanksgiving is nearly here!" or, "Christmas isn't far off now!".

Kiwis don't celebrate Thanksgiving because it's really just an American tradition...or so I thought. Some of my formerly Canadian, now Kiwi, friends have pointed out that Canada actually has their own version as well. Good on 'em, I say!!! For those of you who don't really know what it means to us, it's basically a day to be thankful for all you have...your health, friends, family, and anything else you can think of. A common question I get regards gift-giving... We do not exchange gifts until Christmas, but usually the invitees bring something to go with the main holiday meal or else bring a dessert. Some folks bring salads or their favourite side dish, others bring the traditional pumpkin or pecan pies. The host usually roasts a stuffed turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy, however not being a huge turkey fan, I sometimes opt for a honey-baked style ham or a leg of lamb is nice provided it's prepared well.

In any case, for many Americans, Thanksgiving is just a test-run for holiday recipes before Christmas, as the feast is usually similar as are the guests often times. My grandmother was an amazing cook and came up with all sorts of goodies. Even when my family lived far away, we could always count on some christmas baking in the form of a black walnut & cinnamon Christmas tree-shaped stolen and some homemade fudge & divinity.

The loaf I made here, the Zucchini Bread, is a favourite with many Americans. To you Kiwis & Aussies out there unsure of what a zucchini is - you call them courgettes! This loaf is very similar to carrot cake or bananna bread, so don't be afraid to put veggies into your baking now and then.

In my own version here, I sometimes add carrots and various nuts (whatever I have in the pantry, usually), so this one was made with carrot and pistachios rather than only courgettes and/or walnuts. It's a thick batter and makes one large loaf or two medium loaves, so I usually split it into two just to keep my loaf pan from overflowing!

INGREDIENTS:

2 ½ Cups (315gm) High Grade Flour
1 ½ Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 ½ Cups (375gm) Sugar
¾ Cup Salad Oil
3 Eggs
2 Cups (500gm) Unpeeled Zucchini
1 Small/Med Carrot Peeled & Grated
1 Cup Finely Chopped Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds, or Pistachios work well)
1 ½ Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) oil-spray loaf pan (22 ½ x 12 ½ x 7 ½ cm) then line with baking paper cut to fit pan. (Baking paper is optional, but I found it very clean & easy to use.)

Sift together – Flour, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a separate mixing bowl, with heavy wooden spoon or electric mixer, combine the sugar, oil and eggs and beat until smooth.

Slowly add in sifted dry ingredients until well combined and smooth.

Now add grated zucchini and carrot, vanilla extract and nuts.

Bread will rise, so carefully pour batter into prepared loaf pan/s leaving approximately 1 cm of space at the top, then bake 60-75 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean (I cooked mine 70 minutes).

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan at least 10 minutes prior to turning out onto cooling rack/wire bread rack.

Décor Ingredients (optional):

½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ Cup Sugar
10 Walnut Halves

DECORATING IDEA:

If desired, before serving combine ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ cup of sugar.

Turn the loaf upside down to decorate edges with cinnamon sugar then use approximately 10 walnut halves to decorate the top.

This bread is lovely served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It is also nice just served warm or cold with butter or margarine.

Enjoy!

SINFUL CINNAMON ROLLS
NOT for everyday consumption...

Unless you are trying to bulk up!

One guilty pleasure I have missed since moving abroad is the rare treat of a Cinnabon at the local shopping mall. As far as I know thus far, there is no comparable offering anywhere here that I have found.

Yes, some good Kiwi bakeries and/or cafes do have a cinnamon "pinwheel" that is more bread-like, but none of them even come close to the good old American cinnamon roll. Not only are my cinnamon rolls "to-die-for", the icing is darn near the same as Cinnabon's version. I think my family, friends and neighbours who have sampled them would tend to agree that I am not being overly boastful here! ;o)

One caution to all who attempt this recipe though...they are not a healthy treat to enjoy daily for log periods of time and are likely to contribute to weight gain, increased cholesterol, and heartburn if overindulgence occurs. This recipe makes a relatively large batch too, so be prepared to share with your favourite people!!!

I will list ingredients and directions for the rolls, filling and icing in separate sections below to make it easier to follow...for those brave enough to try!

Rolls first...

DOUGH - INGREDIENTS:

2 Packets Dry Yeast (approx 4 Tsp)

1 Cup Warm Water (not hot - warm when dripped inside your wrist like testing baby bottles)

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Warm Milk

2/3 Cup Butter, melted

2 Tsp Salt

2 Eggs, slightly beaten

5-7 Cups Flour (more or less)

DIRECTIONS:

Activate the yeast in a small bowl by adding the water, sugar, warm milk, melted butter, salt & eggs. Set this aside whilst you go to the next step.

In a larger bowl, sift about 3 Cups of the flour and add 1 cup of it to the yeast mixture. Ideally, this should be covered and set aside in a warm place to foam up for up to an hour or so.

Once your foam has frothed up a bit, begin to slowly pour it into the larger bowl with the sifted flour.

Mix this together well and continue adding flour a bit at a time until the dough can be turned out onto a floured work surface.

Knead the dough about 10 minutes to activate the gluten in the flour then place it into a well oiled bowl big enough to hold twice the mass, and flip it over to oil both top & bottom of the dough ball.

Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours. The dough should double in size.

When ready, punch down the dough and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before proceeding to roll it out flat on a floured surface to about a 1 cm (or 1/2 inch) thickness. I only use half at a time because each half makes about 12 LARGE rolls which can be stacked and frozen for baking later if tightly sealed in plastic wrap first. This 5-10 minute rest is a good time to make the filling...

FILLING - INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Butter, melted

2 Cups Brown Sugar

4 Tbsp Cinnamon

2 Cups Walnuts or Pecans, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together butter & sugar then slowly add in the cinnamon & chopped nuts. You may also opt to add raisins at this stage, but I don't like mine cooked, so I leave 'em out!

Once dough has been rolled out flat, sprinkle filling over entire surface evenly. You may opt to save a little for topping if you have enough at th end.

Now carefully log-roll the dough in a jellyroll or sponge log fashion then pinch the edges together to seal it.

The roll is rather "smushy" and soft, so my trick for cutting the rolls is to get a length of dental floss and slide it under the log, then cross end over end and pull tight to cut a slice without squishing the whole log with a knife. Pretty clever, eh?...

Now, butter a baking dish or just arrange the slices on a silicone baking mat. Put them close together so they don't lose their shape in the oven and, they should puff up nicely.

Cover and set the rolls aside once more in a warm area to rise for about 1 hour.

Once the rolls have risen and just about doubled in size again, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until they brown nicely.

FROSTING/ICING - INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup Butter, melted

200 Gm (8 Oz) Mascarpone Cheese

3 Cups Icing Sugar

2 Tsp Vanilla

1/8 Tsp Lemon Flavouring (just a few drops, really)

DIRECTIONS:

Blend cheese and butter with electric mixer on low to cream. Add icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time and combine well.

Add vanilla and lemon flavour and mix approximately 1 minute then refrigerate.

Be sure to ice the rolls while they are still warm. There's no comfort food much better than a gooey, warm, cinnamon roll on a cold day! Save any extra icing for reheating with the leftover rolls...10-20 seconds in the microwave softens them right up to perfection again.

Enjoy!

RAISIN & OAT SCONES

Mom requested this one, so of course I am more than happy to oblige. I am not so much a huge "scone" fan, but they certainly make the house smell very nice. These are also good to have with a hot drink - my favourite is Jarrah hot chocolate (98% Fat-free, but tastes nice & chocolatey). My lovely hubby also said they are good with coffee...he loves his coffee. (Isn't that right, love?... ;o)

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Cups Flour

1.25 Cups Rolled Oats

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Cream of Tartar

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

2/3 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted

1/3 Cup Milk

1 Egg, beaten lightly

1/2 Cup Raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450°F (225-230°C) and grease cookie sheet or lay out silicone mat on cookie sheet.

I always sift my dry ingredients together for easier and more complete blending. So, first you need to combine first 7 ingredients (except the oats) in a sifter and sift together into a large bowl. Add the oats and mix together well.

Blend the butter, milk and egg together in another bowl, then add it to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Now you may mix in raisins (or any other dried fruit you like).

The dough/batter will still be very sticky, but you will need to roll dough into balls (about raquetball-size - slightly smaller than tennis balls) and place on baking sheet approximately an inch or so from each other. If you want smaller scones, more like "finger food", make the balls smaller (golf ball size) and it will double the quantity from 12 to 24.

Bake until light brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly on rack. (Easily prepared a day ahead.)

Cool completely and store in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.

BANANNA NUT BREAD

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 40-60 Minutes

When I walk past a bakery or into someone's kitchen just as fresh baked goods are being pulled out of the oven, the aroma is usually one of those things that I really find hard to resist. Breads, cakes, pies - they all have that "Grandma's Place" scent...the yeast or the sugar, whatever it is just triggers a reaction not unlike poor Pavlov's dog with the ring of a bell. I suppose baked treats are my "bell" of sorts. One of them anyway. ;o)

My Dad loves bananna flavoured treats, as does my husband, so I took some overripened banannas that were destined for the bin if not rescued soon, and decided to give them one last chance for resurrection into something suitable for human consumption.

I gathered up my brown banannas and a bag of walnuts and decided these were to become a lovely loaf of bananna nut bread - American style. My hubby usually says he will make a bananna cake when our banannas get past their "use by" dates, but I have only had it once. I will never forget how the first one he made enveloped the house in a lovely aroma, then he covered it in a lovely chocolatey icing...and proceeded to wrap it up for his barber!!! WHAT??? Yep, that's right, he had promised the shop he would bring in his "famous bananna cake", so I didn't even get to sample any for nearly another two years! Needless to say, I married him anyway (hehe) and I try to beat him to the punch these days! Hehe... ;o)

Anyway, this recipe is from a very old McCall's cookbook that my friend's father gave me as a wedding present many moons ago. I still cherish it (and reference it often) today!

INGREDIENTS:

1 & 1/2 Cups Sifted Flour

2/3 Cup Sugar

3 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Butter or Margerine

1 Cup Mashed Very Ripe Banannas (approximately 2-4, more or less)

(QUICK TIP: to quickly ripen for cakes & breads, freeze then thaw them)

2 Eggs

1/2 - 2/3 Cup Chopped Walnuts

1/4 Cup Raisins (optional - I opt to leave 'em out)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F (180-190 C) and grease or spray cooking oil into a standard loaf pan (or muffin tin - lined or not).

Sift all dry ingredients (first 5 listed) into a large bowl and cut in butter or margerine with two knives (or a pastry blender) until it resembles a consistency like breadcrumbs and there are no large lumps.

Now add bananna and eggs and, with an electric mixer on low, combine for 1-2 minutes then add nuts & raisins and combine well.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-60 minutes (start checking at 25 minutes for muffins). Begin checking loaf at 40-45 minutes and remove from oven once a tester inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the pan and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.

It is suggested to then wrap the loaf in plastic, then in foil and store overnight before serving. I assume that it enhances the bananna flavour and keeps the loaf moist.

This recipe makes one standard loaf.

DINNER BUNS

I love these rolls with soup or as sandwich bread for a light lunch. My daughter and husband love my buns too... ;o)

I used a basic breadmaker recipe (but work the dough manually, again, because the breadmaker sometimes misses some of the dry ingredients), but added a little more yeast and sugar...not alot, but I find that an added teaspoon of Edmonds Surebake or packet of dry yeast and an extra teaspoon or two of sugar makes for better rising and a fluffier bread.



INGREDIENTS: Sponge/Foam - Combine the following ingredients and allow to froth covered in a warm place for at least an hour.

1/2 Cup Lukewarm Water
1/2 Cup Milk (room temperature)
1 Egg (room temperature)
2 Tbsp Oil or Shortening
1/2 Tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Sugar
2 Cups Bread Flour (High Grade Flour)
2-3 Tsp Edmonds Surebake or 2 Packets Dry Yeast



DOUGH: After the foam has frothed for an hour or so, add in the following:

1 Tsp Mustard Powder
1/4 Tsp Cayenne Powder
3 Tbsp Parmiggiano Regiano (finely grated)

Next, you need to slowly incorporate another 2-3 Cups or so of flour, one cup at a time.

As the dough begins to pull into a ball and away from the bowl, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes adding more flour to your work surface as you go. After 10 minutes, your dough should be smooth and no longer sticky.

Now you need to oil a bowl at least twice the size of your dough ball. But the dough in and flip it over in the bowl to get oil on all of the dough surface. This bowl will now need to be covered and, again, left in a warm place for a couple of hours or so to rise.

After your dough has risen, roll it out flat and knead just a few times before rolling it into a log shape and pinching off golf ball sized amounts and arranging them on a baking stone or tray for baking. This recipe makes approximately 24 buns/rolls so you may opt to cook half at a time or arrange them all together in a pull-apart style, dependin gon how many you need. Any extra dough may be refrigerated for a day or two if you don't need 24 buns at once.

Once your dough balls are ready, let them rise again for a couple of hours if you can, then bake them at 350 F/180 C for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove them from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter and you have delicious and slightly savoury dinner rolls.



There are lots of variations on this recipe. You can add onion powder and/or garlic to the froth before adding the bulk of the flour, or make them more cheesy by topping them with grated cheese before baking. Even seeds or wholegrain flour work well. Find what works for you and enjoy making your own bread. I have to be honest in saying that it was the skyrocketing grocery prices that started me on this breadmaking thing...five buck for a loaf of wholegrain Tip Top bread was just over my limit and I refuse to buy the three dollar bread that doesn't last in the bread box. Well, back to the kitchen for me...the soup is beckoning.

CHALLAH BREAD

Here is a great bread recipe. I was as a school committee meeting when our Canadian hostess brought out a bowl of spinach dip and chunks of this lovely bread for our little group to snack on. I resisted as long as I could and finally caved - BIG mistake. This is a beautiful firm yet slightly eggy and sweet bread that I have not tasted the likes of in some time. I left the meeting making a mental note to call later to get the recipe.

It turned out to be a fairly straightforward recipe that she made the dough for in her breadmaker. Well, I tried that too, but mine didn't mix all that well (although the bread was still very nice in the end). I ended up tweaking the recipe just slightly and then doing all of the mixing & kneading manually and what a difference.

It is certainly worth the extra effort when it comes out right. My one suggestion, is that you don't put this into a loaf pan to bake it...if at all possible, use a baking stone. It does work in a loaf pan, however...the middle will be gooey if you don't get the cooking time just right. Meanwhile, the crust goes quite dark and there is a fine line between perfect and burnt. One other tip for this recipe it that it makes, in my opinion (of which you will find I have many), it makes some of the best French Toast I have ever had. Mom, when you get here, I'll make this one for you! So, ready? Here we go...

STEP ONE: Sponge (Yeast Foam)

Mix together the following and cover with plastic and set aside to froth for an hour.

1 Cup Warm water

2 Pkt/Tsp Yeast

1 1/2 Tsp Salt

1/3 Cup Shortening (Oil is okay too)

1/2 Cup Honey or Brown Sugar

3 Eggs

1 Cup Flour

STEP TWO: Dough

In larger bowl, pour the foam mixture in and add...

3 Cups (approximately) High Quality Flour - One cup at a time

DIRECTIONS:

Now that you have quite a sticky mess of dough, continue adding in more flour one cup at a time until you have a reasonable ball to turn out onto a floured work surface. Keep adding flour to un-stick the dough and begin kneading for 10 minutes, trying to eliminate all air bubbles and hopefully end up with a solid nonsticky satiny mass of dough.

After kneading the dough for 10 minutes, plop it into a well oiled bowl then flip it over to oil the dough surface evenly.

Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise 1-2 hours (or more) in a warm place. It will double in size for 2 loaves.

After the dough has risen, divide it into two halves and work on one at a time.

Each half needs to be flattened out (again to eliminate air and release/activate gluten for fluffy bread). Now cut into thirds (or fourths or sixths, depending on the braid you want) and roll out each piece into a rope with skinny ends and a fat middle approximately 14 inches long.

Pinch one end of each rope together and begin braiding. When you have braided the entire length of all ropes, pinch the ends together and tuck the ends underneath the loaf.

Brush loaves with egg wash (1 egg and 1 tbsp milk or water) and allow to rise once more for at least an hour (the longer it rises, the better).

To finish - Bake on a stone, sheet or in a loaf pan at 350 F/180 C for approximately 25-35 minutes (watch for crust colour and check bottom colour before removing from oven.

Now cool on wire rack and brush top with butter.

YEILDS 2 LOAVES OF SLIGHTLY SWEET, FLUFFY, EASY TO CUT BREAD - ENJOY!!!