My Best Banana Bread

I’ve tried a lot of different banana bread recipes over the years, and this one is about as close to my grandmother’s version as I can get. I cannot remember when or where I found this recipe, but I’ve been using it for some time now. I don’t usually put walnuts in, because I find more people prefer the bread without them. However, you can add in about 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts if you want to.

Ingredients:

• 2 c flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 c butter
• 2 c light or dark brown sugar
• 2 c mashed, over-ripe bananas
• 4 eggs, beaten

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, blend together flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.
• In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in the eggs and bananas and mix well.
• Mix into dry ingredients and stir until just blended.
• Pour into lightly greased pans.
• Bake at 350°F for 60 – 70 minutes in regular sized bread pans, or 30 – 40 minutes in small loaf pans.
• Cool about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack.
• Wrap and refrigerate once completely cooled.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Source Unknown
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 8 oz packagecCream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Add vanilla mixing well. Combine flour and salt, gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Fill a 2-cup, ovenproof measuring cup with water; place in oven with tube pan. This will help keep the cake moist. Bake at 300°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Glaze-
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBS milk, to consistency

Mix together till desired consistency is reached, but should be thin. Add more milk one teaspoon at a time to get the thinness you want. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Quick Date-Nut Bread

Breads, Rolls and Muffins
Difficulty Rating – 2
Source: yahudi2

TRIED AND TRUE!!! This recipe was found among my grandmother’s recipe cards. Judging by the yellowing of the card, I believe it was probably written out sometime around 1965 – 1970.

4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
6 tsp baking powder
½ cup shortening
1 cup nuts
1 ½ cup dates
3 eggs
2 cups milk

Sift dry ingredients together and cut in shortening with pastry blender or two knives. Add dates and nuts. Beat eggs and add milk; add to dry ingredients and mix only enough to dampen all the flour mixture. Pour into two loaf pans and bake at 400°F for 40 minutes.

Pumpkin Orange Spice Donuts

Breakfast
Breads, Rolls, Muffins
Difficulty Rating – 2
Source: Unknown

1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons cooking oil
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 + 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 + 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix in order given. Refrigerate 2 hours. Pat out on floured board. Cut and fry in 375 degree fat. Drain. Roll in cinnamon mixed with sugar.

Pumpkin Nut Bread

Breads, Rolls, Muffins
Difficulty Rating – 2
Source Unknown

1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) pumpkin
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2-3/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts

Melt butter. Add eggs and pumpkin; beat thoroughly. Add sugars, baking soda and powder, and spices;
beat together thoroughly until all lumps are removed. Add flour; mix completely. Add nuts and mix well.
Spoon into 2 greased bread pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350°F. Test with toothpick to ensure loaves are ready.