From hearth to heart,home-baked breads make warm and
welcome holiday gifts
APPLE BUTTER BREAD
From Gwen Hudson of Madison Heights
INGREDIENTS:
� cup apple butter
2 t cinnamon
� t cloves
� cup water
� cup oil
1� cups brown sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1� cups all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
� t salt
DIRECTIONS: Combine the first 3 ingredients. Whisk in
water, then oil, then brown sugar, and then eggs. Mix until smooth. Combine
the remaining ingredients. Add to the apple butter mixture; mix until
smooth. Pour mixture into 3 to 4 greased mini-loaf pans or one 9-inch loaf
pan. (I use nonstick aluminum foil.) Bake at 350� for 50 minutes for
mini-loaves, 70 minutes for large loaf. Let stand a few minutes before
removing from pans. (These freeze well.)
BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE BREAD
From Jean Stainback of Clarksville
INGREDIENTS:
� cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1� cups all-purpose flour
� cup baking cocoa
� t salt
� t baking powder
� t baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1⁄3 cup chopped pecans
Chocolate Honey Butter:
� cup butter (no substitutes), softened
2 T honey
2 T chocolate syrup
DIRECTIONS: In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add
eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour,
cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture,
alternately with buttermilk. Fold in pecans. Pour into a greased 9x5x3-inch
loaf pan. Bake at 350� for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near
the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to
a wire rack. Honey Butter: In a small mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy.
Add honey and chocolate syrup; mix well. Serve with the bread. Makes 1 loaf
of bread and � cup of honey butter.
APRICOT CRANBERRY BREAD
From Louise Irby of Gretna
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1-2 t grated orange peel
1� t baking powder
� t baking soda
� t salt
1 egg
� cup water
� cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved
� cup apricot preserves
DIRECTIONS: In large bowl, combine the first 6
ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the next 3 ingredients; stir into dry
ingredients until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Pour into greased and
floured 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Cut apricots in the preserves into small
pieces; spoon over batter. Cut batter with a knife to swirl. Bake at 350�
for 65-90 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack.
BLUEBERRY QUICK BREAD
From Linda Eastep of Spring Grove
INGREDIENTS:
1 egg
1 cup milk
3 T vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2� t baking powder
� t salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Vanilla Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream
� cup butter, cubed
DIRECTIONS: In a large mixing bowl,
beat egg, milk and oil. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt;
gradually add to egg mixture, beating just until combined. Fold in
blueberries. Pour into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350� for 50-55
minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool
for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Vanilla
Sauce: Combine sugar and cornstarch in a sauce�pan.
Stir in cream until smooth; add butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat;
cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with the blueberry
bread. (If you are using frozen blueberries, do not thaw before adding to
batter.)
NORWEGIAN BREAD
From Edith Yeatts of Gretna
INGREDIENTS:
3� cups flour
3 t baking soda
3 t cinnamon
1� t salt
1 t nutmeg
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2⁄3 cup water
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
1 cup chopped nuts
DIRECTIONS: Sift together dry ingredients, including
sugar. Make a hole in the center of dry mixture; add remaining ingredients
and mix until smooth. Pour into 3 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350� for 1 hour
or until done.
BANANA BREAD
From Linda Lilley of Farmville
INGREDIENTS:
� cup butter (room temperature)
� cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
� t salt
1 t baking soda
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3 large ripe bananas (mashed)
1 t vanilla
� cup coarsely chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS: Cream butter and sugar until lightly fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Sift together flour, baking soda and
salt; stir in whole-wheat flour and add to creamed mixture; mix well. Fold
in mashed bananas, vanilla and walnuts. Pour into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf
pan. Bake at 350� for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle
comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then cool on rack.
GINGERBREAD
From Linda Eastep of Spring Grove
INGREDIENTS:
� cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
� cup molasses
1� cup all-purpose flour
� cup hot water
1 t baking soda
� t salt
� t ginger
1 t cinnamon
� t allspice
� t cloves
DIRECTIONS: In mixing bowl, combine margarine, sugar and
egg. Blend in molasses and water. Add other dry ingredients and stir to mix
dough. Put in greased loaf pan and bake at 350� for 30-40 minutes. Add a
dollop of whipped cream for a delightful dessert.
DATE NUT BREAD
From Ila Smith of Martinsburg, W.Va.
INGREDIENTS:
1� cups boiling water
2 t soda
1-lb. pkg. dates, cut into small pieces
2� T butter
1� cups sugar
1 egg
2� cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts
1� t vanilla
DIRECTIONS: Add soda to boiling water and pour over dates.
Let this mixture stand. Cream butter and sugar; add egg. Strain water from
date mixture into batter. Add flour and beat well. Add dates, nuts, and
vanilla. Mix well. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350� for 1 hour.
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