The smell of pumpkin bread baking in the oven is one of the best fall smells out there. Pumpkin pie is close, but pumpkin breads tend to be even more aromatic, and their long baking time means that there will be plenty of time for the smell of pumpkin, cinnamon and other spices to fill up the kitchen. A good pumpkin bread should be moist, ... Read More »
The problem with pumpkin breads is that a lot of them don’t taste that much like pumpkin. They tend to taste like cinnamon, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as a good spice bread can be absolutely amazing, but pumpkin has a subtle natural sweetness that can get lost when you start piling in too many additional flavors and it ... Read More »
Greek yogurt can be a great ingredient to use in baking. Like buttermilk and sour cream, it adds a subtle tang to baked goods and helps to keep them both moist and tender. I also often eat it for breakfast with fruit and granola, use it to make homemade frozen yogurt and for making other delicious goodies, so I always have it in my fridge. ... Read More »
Cherry Garcia ice cream is one of my favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavors. It is made with cherry ice cream that is studded generously with chunks of cherries and chocolate. This Cherry Chocolate Chip Bread is inspired by that ice cream – and by a huge basket full of fresh cherries that was sitting in my kitchen. The quick bread is loaded up with cherries ... Read More »
Bananas seem to ripen extra-fast during the summer. I use them to make smoothies, popsicles and I even simply pop them into the freezer for later use in baking. As long as it is cool enough outside to justify heating my kitchen up with the oven, I also bake lots of banana bread. This Strawberry Banana Bread is a summery variation on classic banana bread, ... Read More »
One of the reasons that baked donuts have become so popular is that they are much easier to make than deep fried donuts are. They require less cleanup and are a bit healthier, making them a better everyday breakfast choice for most of us. These Vanilla Bean Mini Donuts are one of my favorite everyday donut indulgences. They’re baked, not fried, and their miniature size ... Read More »
One of the reasons that vanilla baked goods are often thought of as being “plain” is that they lack the pops of color that you might find in other foods, like Funfetti cakes, blueberry muffins or chocolate chip cookies and quick breads. I love “plain” vanilla goodies, but I’ll admit that it is nice to get some color into your baked goods, too. Adding berries, ... Read More »
Irish soda bread is a type of quick bread that should be in everyone’s repertoire. The loaves are delicious and easy to make – and there are almost unlimited options for putting your own twist on the traditional recipe. The basic loaf is a plain bread that has a rich buttermilk flavor. It’s good on its own (served with butter and jam – my favorite), ... Read More »
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