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Category Archives: Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Low-Fat, Low-Sugar)

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Veronica

Although I’ve been eating healthier for the better part of eight months, you might not have been able to tell that by the recipes I’ve been posting.  I figured it was about time I get to it and share some more of the low-calorie love.  We all need balance, and I’d say after my last brownie post, you’re due something a little on the lighter side.

I wanted to participate in this week’s BSI (blogger secret ingredient) contest, this week’s ingredient being yogurt, so I dug my container out of the fridge and decided to whip something up with the bananas that were rotting on the counter.  (Bananas that are nearly rotten give the best flavor for banana bread!)  I’ve also been experimenting with baking with Truvia and have had good results when combining it with a little sugar in recipes, so I decided to do that here too.  Thus this delightful bread was born!

This is a moist loaf with a wonderfully sweet banana flavor.  The chocolate chips are a nice little bonus.  Though it doesn’t quite compare to my favorite banana bread, it is still really delicious and I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about having two slices for lunch, spread with a thin schmear of peanut butter (my favorite way to eat this bread)!

This would be a good recipe to turn into muffins, and it would be easier to get even portion sizes that way too.  Plus, you wouldn’t have to bake them as long, which translates to a center that’s even more moist!

V’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Truvia
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups mashed overripe banana (about 3-4 bananas)
½ cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9” loaf pan with cooking oil and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk to combine. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients. Add wet to dry, stirring until nearly mixed, then fold in the chocolate chips. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 1 loaf, 12 slices. Per slice: 155 calories; 2.6 g fat; 35.6 mg cholesterol; 113 mg sodium; 32 g carbohydrates; 1.4 g fiber; 4 g protein

Recipe by Veronica Miller

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Favorite Banana Bread & Spices Giveaway Winner

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Veronica

First off, congratulations to Amanda, the winner of my spices giveaway! Check your email, Amanda, and send me your address so I can get them in the mail to you.

Now on to this banana bread.  I started making it this summer and since the moment the first loaf came out of the oven, it became my favorite banana bread.  In fact, I made it three times that first week because my family just couldn’t get enough.  Which is one reason why I never got a very good photo of it.  It seems to disappear before I have a chance to grab my camera.

Atypical of most banana breads, it has a fine, light texture and has a crispy, buttery crust.  It is super sweet and with a perfect banana flavor.  The only problem I have with it is that it bakes up flat.  I even bought new baking powder and soda, and still, flat.  I think this must be the result of the same thing that happens with “sad” cakes (the ones that sink in the middle) that have a high ratio of fat and liquid to dry ingredients.  But, just as sad cakes are incredibly moist, so is this bread.  And I seem to be the ONLY person that can’t bake it up with a dome on top.  Check out the original recipe to see Mel’s pictures.  And then check out my friend Cheryl’s loaf of this bread.  They’re beautiful.  Maybe it’s the climate here, or our altitude, or perhaps my kitchen is cursed, but based on the other photos, I’d have to say your loaf will probably bake up much nicer than mine.

And even if it doesn’t, it will disappear just as fast.  It’s wonderful!

Buttermilk Banana Bread

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I use about 3 average-sized bananas)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 1 large (9 1/4 X 5 1/4-inch) loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla until the batter is well mixed. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Mix until well combined. Divide batter into greased and floured bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe source: My Kitchen Cafe

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Eggnog Pumpkin Bread

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Veronica

It usually takes me months to get around to posting a recipe, but I couldn’t wait with this one.  I made it today, and I’m posting it today because I’m durn proud of it!  I threw a bunch of stuff together in a bowl and was delighted when it came out even better than I expected.

It started with the marked down holiday baking stuff last year.  I can never resist it.  Among bags and bags of peppermint baking chips, I bought maybe ten boxes of pumpkin spice pudding mix, having no idea what I was going to do with it.  (Making pudding with it would be too obvious.)  Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I bought some eggnog because I can’t resist that either.  I have to have at least one glass of eggnog a year.  I love it.  However, I don’t need a whole half gallon all to myself and my husband won’t touch it, so I now had two things I wanted to include in a recipe in order to get rid of them–pumpkin spice pudding mix and eggnog.  And then I found the finishing touch–something I’ve been scouring the store shelves for for two years! Cinnamon baking chips.  I was ready to bake, baby.

The loaves came out super-moist thanks to the pumpkin and pudding mix…and maybe the rich eggnog and oil had a little to do with it, too.  :)  There is a good balance of flavor between the pumpkin and taste of eggnog, enhanced by extra rum and nutmeg.  The cinnamon chips are perfect with the flavor of the bread but they can be left out if you prefer.  I hope you try it this holiday season!

Eggnog Pumpkin Bread

I weighed my flour and sugar as I measured them so I could be sure to get the same amounts the next time I make the bread. If you don’t have a scale, be sure to scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and level it rather than scooping it with the measuring cup, or you may get too much flour in the recipe, resulting in heavier, drier loaves.
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

3 cups (13 ¾ oz) all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (11 ¼ oz) granulated sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package Jello Pumpkin Spice pudding mix*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 ½ cups eggnog
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon rum or 1 teaspoon imitation rum extract
1 (10 oz) bag cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9×5 loaf pans; set aside.

Stir the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs and add the eggnog, pumpkin, oil, and rum. Beat until incorporated and smooth. Pour liquid into the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Add the cinnamon chips and fold them in until combined.

Divide batter between prepared pans and bake 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack ten minutes, then remove from pans to cool completely on rack.

*You could probably substitute another flavor of pudding mix, like vanilla, if you can’t find the pumpkin spice, and just add some extra spices to the batter to make up for it not being in the pudding mix.

Recipe by Veronica Miller

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Sedona Cream Scones

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Veronica

I adapted this recipe from Carole Walter, who adapted it from the recipe used at Shugrue’s Hillside Grill in Sedona, AZ (hence the name, although these are probably nothing like the original recipe now that it’s been adapted twice!).  These scones are so soft & tender, they practically melt in your mouth! I’m in love. Try them with lemon curd. You will fall in love too!

Sedona Cream Scones

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder (preferably aluminum-free)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ c (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk (reserve white for egg wash)
1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water, for egg wash
1 T sparkling sugar

Position rack in the middle of oven.  Preheat to 375 degrees F.  Have ready a large, ungreased cookie sheet.

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the butter and mix for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until the mixture forms pea-size bits.  Whisk together the cream, egg, and egg yolk.  Stir it in by hand, just until it forms a dough. Sprinkle flat surface with about 2 tablespoons flour.  Empty dough onto surface, and, with floured hands, knead five or six times. Press into a 12″ circle or square. Cut the circle into four triangles, then cut each triangle into thirds, or cut 12 square pieces from the square.  When placing on cookie sheet, invert each scone, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart.  Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.  Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until firm to the touch.  Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 5 min before loosening with a thin metal spatula.  Serve scones warm.  If baking ahead, warm the scones in a 300 degree F oven before serving.  Store in an airtight plastic bag for up to 3 days.  These scones may be frozen.

Recipe source: adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More by Carole Walter


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Pumpkin Spice Bagels & Pumpkin Butter

Posted on October 23, 2010 by Veronica

Dave from My Year on the Grill chose leftovers as this week’s “ingredient” for the Blogger Secret Ingredient contest (aka BSI).  Since I often make dishes with leftovers, I had a tough choice choosing which one I’ve made lately to post.  And since the things I made with 28 egg yolks leftover from my huge white birthday cake all included lemon, I chose to post something more season-appropriate.

Don’t you hate it when a recipe calls for 1/2 cup of pumpkin, or any other measurement other than the entire can?  Drives me crazy!  After using 1/2 cup for some yummy bagels, I decided to use the leftover to make pumpkin butter so I could smear that on the bagels with some cream cheese.  The bagels are good by themselves, but even better with the pumpkin butter!  And don’t worry,  your pumpkin bagels will not be as dark or flat because you will not mess up the recipe by adding so much water that you have to add in 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour to stiffen it back up, and you will not forget to put in half the yeast.  Although these mistakes made the bagels more dense than I would have liked, they were still quite tasty and I will definitely make them again.

Pumpkin Spice Bagels
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

2/3 cup warm water 110°)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups bread flour (I used all-purpose)
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 egg white
1 tbsp cornmeal

In bread machine pan, place water, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, spices, flour and yeast in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into nine balls. Push thumb through centers to form a 1-in. hole. Stretch and shape dough to form an even ring. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Fill a Dutch oven two-thirds full with water; bring to a boil. Drop bagels, two at a time, into rapidly boiling water. Cook for 45 seconds; turn and cook 45 seconds longer. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Whisk egg white and remaining water; brush over bagels. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place bagels 2 in. apart on prepared pan. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 9 servings.

Nutrition Information (provided by a Taste of Home): 1 bagel equals 180 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 273 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein

Recipe source: Taste of Home Healthy Cooking, October/November 2010

You can see other spreads I made with leftovers in the background: lemon curd (made with leftover egg yolks) and apple butter (made with leftover applesauce)

Pumpkin Butter
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

Leftover pumpkin (you should have a heaping cup)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Whisk together in small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced half.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups

Nutrition information per tablespoon (calculated on Sparkrecipes.com): 19 calories, 0 g fat, 2.4 mg sodium, 36.8 mg potassium, 6 g carbohydrate, 5 g sugar, 0 protein

Recipe by Veronica Miller

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Unleavened Bread for Communion (Wheat Crackers)

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Veronica

I started making the communion bread for our small Church when I was a fairly new Christian in 2008.  Since I love to bake, it was natural for me to volunteer and once I started making it, I refused offers of help until my dear sisters in Christ threw their hands up in defeat and I became the sole communion bread-maker!  I didn’t intend for this to happen, but I can’t say that I’m sad about it.  As I said, I love to bake, and baking for Christ is the ne plus ultra!

For most of that time I was basically using my favorite pie crust recipe with a little bit of sugar, some extra flour, and I worked it a lot more to reduce the flakiness and mess when each person broke off a piece.  This seems to be common among the Churches I have visited–basically using small rounds of baked pie crust as the communion bread for the Lord’s supper.

This year I changed the recipe to omit sugar because I finally came to understand that the Passover bread that Jesus was passing at the table during his last meal would not have contained honey (refer to Leviticus 2:11), so we can draw the conclusion that any type of sweetener was most likely not included. Changing the recipe this small bit made me think about it a little more, and I could not fathom how it came to be over the centuries that the plain unleavened bread that was served at Passover had come to be more of a pie crust with either shortening or butter (I used both) rather than liquid oil.  I have not done enough research to know exactly how they made the bread, and perhaps that has been lost to time, but based on Leviticus 7:12 and 2:13, I do know that it contained flour, oil and salt.  So I used this very plain recipe to create a satisfying communion bread that makes me feel closer to Jesus when I partake, as I imagine it is similar to what he and his apostles ate during his last meal, and my sensitivity to salt makes me very aware of it and brings to mind Jesus’s blood and sweat and how he suffered for us as he hung on the cross.

<moment of reflective silence>

This bread is actually quite tasty and you could also use it for your homemade crackers.  It would be fabulous with creamy dips!  I included a bit of whole wheat flour for a more nutty flavor, but it could easily be changed to all white flour if you want white crackers.  If you are using this recipe for communion bread and want to get really authentic, I would say using all whole wheat flour, stone ground, would be better but you might need to add some extra water in this case.

This is my submission for the BSI contest.  Thank you so much to the early birds who have already submitted their recipes that include flour.  I hope to see more of them!  Remember, you don’t have to have a blog or picture of your recipe to enter and all submissions are due by Sunday, August 15, 2010, at 5:00 pm CST .  I will post a roundup of all the submissions and announce the winner Sunday night.  So send your links or recipes to vraklis at yahoo dot com or leave a link in the comment form below.  Thanks!

Unleavened Bread (Wheat Crackers)
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil (I like to use olive oil, but vegetable or canola will work)
4-8 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Mix together well, preferably in a food processor, the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and oil. Add 4 tablespoons water and mix well. Gradually add more water, mixing after each addition, until mixture forms a compact ball. I usually need 7 tablespoons but your climate and humidity may require less or more to get the desired consistency. If it seems too sticky to handle, add more flour.  Divide the dough in half.

Sprinkle a work surface with flour, then press and roll one ball of dough to about 1/8th inch thick. I do this on a sheet of parchment the size of my baking pan and have my husband hold the paper while I roll. Try to get it fairly uniform. If the dough is too dry to roll out, return it to the food processor and add a little more water. If necessary to prevent sticking, dust your hands and the rolling-pin with a little more flour.

Put the rolled-out dough on a baking sheet dusted with a little flour (if you’ve used parchment paper, transfer dough and paper to baking sheet) and prick all over with a fork. Bake 10 – 15 minutes, until somewhat brown.

Cool and break into pieces and repeat with the second half of the dough. If making several batches, mix another while the first one bakes. You can re-use the parchment paper several times.

Recipe source: adapted from recipetips.com

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Potluck Pockets with Honey Wheat Pita Bread

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Veronica

I found this Taste of Home recipe through Real Mom Kitchen, another favorite blog of mine, and have made it several times just in the last month.  It is the kind of unassuming recipe you might pass over for something more exciting, but that would be a mistake.  I find the seasonings & sauces a strange mix and never would have thought to put them together myself but believe me, this makes an incredibly delicious savory filling for pita pockets.  I’m salivating just thinking about the flavor of it combined with the crisp lettuce, juicy tomato and a little salty sauce poured over it all.  Oh, mama.  It is GOOD. 

I decided to make my own pita bread and found it an improvement from the store-bought kind.  I’ve never really enjoyed pita bread before because there was nothing to like about it.  Dry, hard, and slightly acidic, I mainly deigned to purchase it simply because it made a handy place to stuff meats and veggies and lovely things like falafel.  I found that although that slight acidic taste is still present in homemade pita bread, the texture makes up for it–it is soft and lovely and so much more pleasant to bite into and chew.  The wonderful filling of the Potluck Pockets is so flavorful that you can’t really even taste the flavor of the pitas so for a fully enjoyable experience, try making the pitas yourself.  I chose to use a honey wheat recipe, but any would be great here since the main flavor impact comes from the filling and the main benefit from homemade pita, in this case, is the improvement in texture.

Potluck Pockets
Printable Version

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
8 pita breads, halved (recipe follows)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
3 cups shredded lettuce

SAUCE:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Dash pepper

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, cumin and Italian seasoning; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5-10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, bring sauce ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5-10 minutes. Spoon meat mixture into pita halves; top with sauce, tomatoes and lettuce. Yield: 16 servings.

Nutritional Information for the filling alone (per serving): 92 calories; 6 g fat; 80 mg sodium; 4 g carb; .6 g fiber; 5.5 g protein

Recipe source: adapted from Taste of Home

Honey Wheat Pita Bread
Printable Version

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups water, heated to 110 F
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon canola oil

*If you are nervous about making pita bread, I’d recommend checking out the step-by-step photos at Evil Shenanigans, where I found this recipe.  If you do not have a mixer with dough hooks, see my note following the recipe for instructions.

In a large measuring cup combine the water and yeast.  Let stand for ten minutes, until foamy. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the yeast mixture, both flours, salt, honey, and oil. Mix on low speed for three minutes then check to make sure the dough is not too liquid, but it should be sticky to the touch. Mix on medium speed for five minutes. Cover with plastic and let rise until double in bulk, about an hour.

Heat the oven to 475 F with a pizza stone, or 9″ or larger cast iron skillet, for thirty minutes.

Once the dough has risen turn out onto a floured surface and press out the excess gas. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll the dough into balls then cover with a towel and allow to rest for twenty minutes.

Once rested roll the dough into a thin circle, about 1/8″ thick. Place the dough on the heated pizza stone and bake for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and puffed. Cover the baked pita with a clean towel and repeat with the remaining dough.

Makes 8 pita.

Veronica’s Notes: I used rapid-acting/instant yeast, so I used my usual method of mixing it with the dry ingredients, then adding the wet (no proofing/activating necessary with instant yeast). I made my dough by hand and had to add about 1/2 cup more all-purpose flour to get it to where I could knead it without it completely adhering to my hands, but made sure to leave it slightly sticky. I kneaded it for about 5 minutes. You can usually skip the first rise with instant yeast, but I went ahead and let it rise and then divided it into balls and let them rise again.  If you want to skip the first rise and go directly to shaping the balls, you’ll have to let them rise for an hour or until doubled in size.

A word of warning! I used a Pampered Chef pizza stone and it exploded halfway through the process of baking the pitas.  I got the stone from a friend who didn’t want it any more and I had no information on how to care for it, etc., so I’m sure I did something fundamentally wrong (like washing it with soap–yes I did) before placing it in the oven and that the process of baking pitas has nothing to do with the explosion.  After all, Evil Shenanigans used a pizza stone with no trouble.  But I just wanted to warn you–a cast iron skillet might be safer here.

Nutritional Information (per 1/2 pita): 94 calories; 1 g fat; 73 mg sodium; 18.5 g carb; 1.4 g fiber; 2.6 g protein

Recipe Source: slightly modified from Evil Shenanigans

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Lasagna & Garlic Bread

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Veronica

Both these recipes come from my favorite food blog, My Kitchen Cafe, and are the best lasagna and garlic bread I’ve ever made.  We ate huge pieces of the lasagna and couldn’t stop going back for more of this amazing garlic bread until only 1/4 of the loaf remained.  5 cloves of fresh garlic cooked in butter for 7 minutes, then stirred into softened butter makes an amazing spread.  This dinner was delicious, hearty & satisfying. Serve it with a green salad and you’ve got a wonderful meal.

Mom’s Lasagna
recipe adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1 package oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 to 1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (undrained)
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cloves minced garlic
2 ½ teaspoons dried basil
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 container (15 ounce) ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook ground beef and onion, drain. Stir in tomatoes (undrained), tomato paste, sugar, garlic, basil, and pepper.  Simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally (this is actually so thick that it doesn’t exactly simmer. I just left it on low heat and stirred it once in a while). In a small bowl blend ricotta, egg, parsley, parmesan cheese and ½ teaspoon salt. Put a layer of noodles in a 9 X 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil, a layer of meat sauce, layer of ricotta mixture and a layer of the cheese then repeat all the layers twice more. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover, bake 10 minutes more. (I cooked mine 30 minutes foil on & 20 minutes without the foil, that’s why the cheese got all dry-looking.) Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

*Freezable Meal: Prepare recipe right up until the baking step and then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To bake, increase baking time to about 40 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered. If baking from frozen, bake covered for 1 hour and 30 minutes, uncover and bake 30 minutes longer.

Garlic Bread
adapted from Melanie’s Cheesy Garlic Bread

5 garlic cloves, finely minced (click here for a tutorial on working with fresh garlic)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt (1/2 tsp if you’re using unsalted butter)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 18-20-inch baguette or loaf of french bread, sliced in half horizontally

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400.

In a small nonstick skillet, cook the garlic, 1 tablespoon of the butter and water over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is straw colored, 7-10 minutes. It is important to keep the heat low or the garlic will burn and turn bitter. The garlic should be lightly browned but not burned!

In a small bowl, place the remaining 7 tablespoons softened butter and the salt and pepper. Mix in the hot garlic mixture and stir to combine. Using a rubber spatula, spread the butter mixture on the cut sides of bread. Sandwich the bread back together and wrap the loaf in foil. Place the wrapped loaf on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.    Cut into angled pieces and serve hot. Please try to exert self-control and share the bounty with others at the table.

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Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Veronica

OK, I’m just going to get this off my chest. I’m a wuss. A wimp. And I’m not afraid to admit it (my strategy is to point out my shortcomings to others before they beat me to it!). My friend, Pia, posts so many gorgeous ethnic dishes that I would love to serve at my own table, but do I make any of the recipes she posts? Of course not–I’m either too lazy or too intimidated (probably both) to break out of my comfort zone enough to make my own Kimchi (which my hubby would much appreciate) or even something as American as General Tso’s Chicken (another of Dennis’ favorites) .  But yesterday she posted a recipe for Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins and guess what I did?  That’s right, I made them immediately.  These babies were exactly the kind of thing I love whipping up, but they offer no challenge.  If the muffins weren’t so delicious, I’d be disgusted with myself.

Once again, I’m promising myself that I will, I WILL, make something from her blog that is not American and is not a dessert.  And there is plenty to choose from.  In the meantime, however, lets talk about these muffins.

They are soft & moist.  So moist.  They are flavorful–the banana complimented by chocolate and nuts.  They are irresistable, especially when they’re still warm and the chocolate is all melty.  Hold on, I think I need to grab another one while they’re still hot…

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins
adapted from Inato lang Filipino Cuisine and More

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 cup ripe mashed banana (about 4 bananas)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line 12 muffin cups (you might need 14 as I did) with paper liners or grease them well. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and stir in the remaining ingredients one by one, including the nuts and chocolate chips (reserve a couple tablespoons of both if you want to sprinkle them over the top like I did). Using an ice cream scoop with a lever, fill muffin cups about 2/3 full and sprinkle nuts and chocolate chips over the center of each muffin (they will spread as the muffins rise).

Bake for 8 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 and continue baking for another 6-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the muffins sit in the pans for a few minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool.

Tip: The burst of heat in the initial high temperature helps dome the muffins.

Veronica’s Notes: I used bananas that I froze several months ago, just as I always do with anything calling for mashed banana. I constantly replenish my stock of frozen bananas because I like to have extra-ripe bananas at the ready–you never know when you’ll have a hankering for banana bread or cupcakes! I have a whole post devoted to the subject of over-ripe bananas and freezing them and you can find it here.

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Incredible Dinner Rolls (bread machine)

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Veronica

It took countless batches of dinner roll failures over the course of two years to finally perfect a recipe to my tastes. This one has everything I love in a dinner roll: soft, light, slightly sweet, and simple to make. They are just incredible, especially when warm and served with butter.

Incredible Dinner Rolls
Printable recipe

1 egg
3 Tablespoon butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
2 ¼ teaspoon (1 package) bread machine yeast*

Crack the egg into a Ziploc bag and place it in a bowl of hot tap water, so that it will come quickly to room temperature.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the milk and heat the mixture until it reaches 110-115 degrees, or until it feels very warm to the touch.

Squish the egg while it’s inside the bag until it looks lightly beaten. Empty it into the bread machine pan; add the milk mixture, and then top with the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Set the machine to the dough cycle.

When the machine starts to mix the dough faster, check on it and, if necessary, use a spatula to help incorporate the flour. I always have to do this, but that may be because my machine is old and sub-par.

Once the cycle is complete, remove pan and punch down dough. If you’re making 12 large rolls, spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. If you’re making 20 standard-size rolls, spray two 9-inch round cake pans.

Divide the dough in half, and then divide each half into 6-10 pieces, depending on the amount you want to make. Shape each piece into a ball as you pull off the dough, and place in pan(s), spacing evenly.

Cover with clean cloth(s) and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes, or until rolls are doubled in size.** Preheat oven to 375 while your dough is rising.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden-brown. When done, remove from oven and rub the end of a cold stick of butter over the tops of the rolls. Serve warm & with lots of butter.  :)   If making in advance, store them in an airtight container (I always use a gallon-size Ziploc bag) and reheat them in the oven when you’re ready to serve them (be sure to remove them from the bag first!)

*Also marketed as “rapid-rise” and “instant” yeast.
**I most often use my oven for rising bread. I preheat it to its lowest setting (170 degrees) once the dough begins its first rise in the bread machine and turning it off when it’s done preheating, that way it’s warm but not too hot once I place the pans in to rise. That works the best. (If you use this method, you’ll have to remove them after they’re done rising, preheat the oven, and let the rolls rest on the counter until it reaches 375.) If the top of your oven gets warm when you preheat it, you could also set your pans up there. The last trick I use is to place the pan on a heating pad set to low.
***You could also make these by hand or using your stand mixer with dough hooks, letting the dough rise in an oiled bowl for one hour or until doubled after kneading. I don’t know how long you’d have to knead it, though. I’d estimate 10 minutes.

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