WHOLE WHEAT BANANA NUT BREAD

Here is a healthier version of the typical white flour, loaded with sugar and oil, banana bread. The best thing about it...you are not going to miss the old version...not one little bit!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon each of baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
cooking spray
light whipped cream cheese

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
Stir together bananas and next 4 ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in walnuts.
Pour batter into a 9X5-inch loaf pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to 1 hour until done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove and cool completely.
If you wish, serve with light whipped cream cheese spread.
Yield: 10 servings

"I never met a banana nut bread that I did not like."~Adele Forbes

ALL WEEK LONG BISCUITS

I have to confess that I have never been much of a scratch roll or biscuit maker. I tend to want to knead the dough to death and this is a no-no in the world of bread baking. Then I ran up on this recipe in an old church cookbook and thought, what the heck, I'll give it a try. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week and all you have to do is take out however much you need at a time and roll it out, cut it out, and then slip them in the oven. No waiting to rise, no kneading. Works like a charm every time and the man of the house is happy.

6 cups self-rising flour
1 cup Crisco shortening
5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups buttermilk
5 tablespoons warm water
1 pkg. dry yeast

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Cut shortening in to flour and sugar. Add buttermilk and yeast mixture. Mix well and store in covered bowl. Roll out on floured board. Cut and bake at 450 degrees until brown. Keeps for a week in the refrigerator.

“Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits.”~Carl Sandburg

MILDRED FORBES' ANGEL BISCUITS

Mildred is my mother-in-law and she always made the best yeast rolls this side of heaven. I received a 'special request' for this recipe and was happy to oblige the requester. Be sure to have some good butter on hand when these gems come out of the oven!
                                     
1 pkg. yeast or 1 yeast cake
2 to 3 tablespoons warm water
5 cups plain flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cups buttermilk


Dissolve yeast in water. Stir flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and soda together; cut in shortening. Stir in yeast mixture and buttermilk. Roll out on floured board, cut into biscuits; brush with melted butter. bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
NOTE: Dough will keep in refrigerator for several days but allow biscuits to rise before baking. Three-fourths cup butter may be substituted for shortening.

"In the Virginia of the olden time no breakfast or tea-table was thought to be properly furnished without a plate of these indispensable biscuits.....Let one spend the night at some gentleman-farmer's home, and the first sound heard in the morning, after the crowing of the cock, was the heavy, regular fall of the cook's axe, as she beat and beat her biscuit dough.....Nowadays beaten biscuits are a rarity, found here and there, but soda and modern institutions have caused them to be sadly out of vogue."~'Virginia Cookery Book' (1885)

HUSH YOUR MOUTH NOW HONEY CORNBREAD OR ELSE

Or else what? Or else I am going to take you out to the woodpile and give you what you have been needing!

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 stick melted butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup cubed Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet with shortening. Place in the oven while you mix up the batter.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk through butter in another bowl. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, just until moistened, add the cheese. Pour the batter into the hot pan, return to the oven, and bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden in color. Remove from the oven and brush the top with the honey. Cool for a few minutes then cut into wedges. Serves 10 to 12

"Cornbread are round...pie are square."~me

LEMON ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Baking on the lowest oven rack crisps the bottom of Lemon-Rosemary Focaccia, giving it a more traditional crunch.

1 (8oz.) can refrigerated reduced-fat crescent dinner roll dough
1 small lemon, sliced paper-thin
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll dough onto ungreased baking sheet, being careful not to separate dough into pieces. Gently press dough together along perforations to seal. Arrange lemon slices evenly over dough. Sprinkle evenly with rosemary leaves and next 3 ingredients; lightly coat with cooking spray. Place on bottom rack in oven, and bake for 14 minutes or until edges are golden. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Serve warm.
Yield: 8 servings

MEXICAN SALSA BREAD

Transform a basic pizza crust into a spicy accompaniment for soup or salad.

1 cup reduced-fat shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
3/4 cup picante sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (1-lb.) Italian cheese-flavored pizza crust (Boboli)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1/2 cup cheese, picante sauce, and cilantro in a small bowl; stir well. Spread over pizza crust; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cut into 16 wedges.
Yield: 16 servings

PEANUT BUTTER BREAD with BACON

If you want to make everyone in your house happy then bake this bread.

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
16 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (about 1 cup)

Cream peanut butter and butter in a large mixing bowl. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; stir. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, stirring well.
Combine milk and egg; add to creamed mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in peanuts and bacon. Pour batter into a greased 9X5X3-inch loafpan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool on a wire rack.
Yield: 1 loaf

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul.”~John Muir

MY VERY FAVORITE CORNBREAD

Saute 1 lb. cleaned, cooked, diced shrimp and 1 lb. crab claw meat with 1 chopped sweet onion and 2 or 3 pods of jalapeno peppers in 1 stick real butter in large cast iron frying pan..........Mix 2 cups self-rising white flour, 1 cup self-rising white cornmeal and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl.....stir in 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup sour cream and 2 eggs.....add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup mexi corn-well drained, along with the seafood mixture until well blended, but don't over beat......pour back into pan and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

“Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God....I could be eating a slow learner.”~Lynda Montgomery

MOIST BANANA NUT BREAD

When making banana bread be sure that your bananas are very ripe. The riper the banana the moister your bread will be.

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
8oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 or 5 )
3 cups all-purpose four
1/2 teaspoon each of baking powder, baking soda, and salt
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (4X8)-inch loaf pans with butter.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and mashed bananas. Mix together the dry ingredients and add to banana mixture. Fold in nuts. Bake for 1 hour. Insert a toothpick into bread and if it comes out clean remove bread from oven. Top with:

ORANGE GLAZE

1 cup confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Whisk ingredients together and pour over loaf in pan. Allow to sit for 15 minutes or so and remove from pan.

"I know you have your hands full with the babies, so I made you some banana bread."~Marge from the Simpson's

DRIED CHERRY AND CREAM SCONES

This just happens to be my favorite scone....I rarely make them because they are deadly to my diet...but just every now and then, I can't help myself...

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1 tablespon grated lemon rind
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir in cherries and 1 tablespoon lemon rind. Add whipping cream, stirring with a fork just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 5 or 6 times, just until dough holds together. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on an ungreased baking sheet. Cut dough into 8 wedges; seperate wedges slightly. Brush with melted butter. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspon lemon rind; sprinkle over dough.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Remove from pan. Serve warm.
Yiels: 8 scones

1-2-3 BISCUITS

Your children are out of school...for how long? And you have been stuck in the house! So it's time to find new ways to 'entertain' them. If they can count to 3, then they can make these biscuits..with your help of course...

1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup milk

Mix first 3 ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix oil and milk together, add to dry ingredients. Mix just a little more. Place a mound about the size of a small child's fist, about 3 tablespoons, onto greased baking sheet. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for for about 12 minutes, just until golden brown.

“Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.”~Henry Ward Beecher

CUSTARD-FILLED CORNBREAD

If you love cornbread, then definately try this recipe. Serve it with beef stew.

3 Tbsp. butter-melted
2 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup self-rising cornmeal
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen kernal corn
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pan and place in oven to heat. Whisk flour and cornmeal together. Whisk eggs and butter in another bowl, whisk in sugar, milk and vinegar. Add flour mixture and whisk until just smooth. Stir in corn. Transfer to heated pan. Pour cream into center. DO NOT STIR. Bake until golden and set, about 50 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan, serve warm.
Serves 12 to 16.

"Sex is good...but not as good as custard-filled cornbread!"~A.F.

LITTLE BITS OF SUNSHINE

This is one of the most popular catering recipes that I have ever possessed. I never gave out the recipe, though everybody wanted it. Little cheese biscuits of this caliber only come along once in a great while.

2 sticks butter (use the real thing-I have not cooked with margarine in over 30 years-trust the cow)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 cups self-rising flour

Melt butter in bowl and add grated cheese, stir. Cool 2 minutes. Add sour cream, mixing well. Stir in flour. Fill greased miniature muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Remove from pans and serve hot.
Makes 48 mini muffins.

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather."~John Ruskin

MARTHA HICK'S SWEET POTATO BREAD

1 C. raisins
1 C. pecans (chopped)
*flour in 1/3 C. of flour (you know what to do) (they are optional but really add to the bread, I think); toss the raisins and pecans in the flour
Mix...
3 C. sugar
4 eggs
3 1/3 C. flour
1 C. oil
2/3 C. water
2 tsp. cinn.
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 C. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (I add more)
add raisins and nuts
Grease and flour pan or pans
Bake 1 hr. 350 degrees
Wrap in foil til cooled-really moist!!!
I got this recipe from a good friend, Debbie Edwards, many years ago. I make it every year for Christmas. Can be made in cans-(I could never get them out!) or make in small loaf pans. You can drizzle cream cheese icing over it or ice entire thing!!! Will be a success!!!

"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich."~Dan Wilcox

THREE KINGS BREAD

If you are looking for the perfect loaf of bread for Christmas Eve, then look no further. It is as delicate as the Virgin mother's love, and rich as the Three Kings treasures.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Set aside. In large mixing bow, cream 2 cups butter with 2 cups granulated sugar. Seperate 6 eggs; set whites aside. Add egg yolks to butter misture one at a time, beating after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture and 1/2 cup dark raisins, 1/2 cup golden raisins, and 1/2 cup dried cranberries, alternating flour and dried fruit, stirring well after each addition. Beat egg whites and fold into dough. Pour batter into greased and floured 9X5-inch loaf pan; bake for 45 minutes.
Yield: 1 loaf
"We three Kings of orient are bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain following yonder star."

MAMA JOE'S CORNBREAD

Mama Joe is my maternal grandmother, and I was raised in her home and was the youngest of all of her grandchildren. Her kitchen was the center of our universe and my love of cooking sprang from what I believe to have been that sacred space. The majority of the cooking was done on an old-timey wood-fired stove. She had an electric stove, but preferred the wood one. Some of the most precious memories of my life were made in that kitchen. One of the most memorable was her cornbread. I inherited her cast iron skillets. To this day I have never made my cornbread in anything else.
1 stick butter
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place butter in 10-inch cast iron skillet. Place in oven just until butter melts. While butter is melting, mix remaining ingredients together, just until blended. Add all of butter but about 2 tablespoons to batter. Pour in to pan and return to oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until top of cake is golden in color.
COOKS NOTE: I have won 8 blue ribbons with this cornbread recipe. It is sweet and has a cake like consistency.