Pumpkin Bread

First, I need to explain why this post is so delayed. Especially since I am so backed up on my posts (and there are quite a few pumpkin treats). But, I feel like I have a very valid excuse. I was on my honeymoon! Yes, I got married over 11 months ago, but when you elope, especially right before Christmas, there's not much time to plan, let alone time for, a honeymoon. So there you have it, my extremely valid excuse for being an absentee blogger.

Wanna look like a rock star this Thanksgiving and not have to do a lot of work for it? Then this, my friends is the recipe for you. It's super easy and super tasty and I was even told it was "better than Starbucks'." Yup. I got the recipe from my favorite high altitude tome. I've made it a few times and it's always a hit!

**Update - In my haste to get this post out, I forgot to include this awesome picture of my friend, Angela, enjoying a piece of pumpkin bread topped with a Frosted Pumpkin Cookie. Apparently it was delicious this way.

Pumpkin Bread

1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine dry ingredients (excluding the sugar) and set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix pumpkin, water, eggs, oil and sugar together until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cornbread

I love cornbread but I've never actually made it besides from a box ...I know...

 

Hopefully you get over the horror of my admission. This time, since we were having guests, I decided I wanted to make them from scratch. Which made me think of this: 

But, whatever, this is me and this is how I roll (when I'm not being lazy).

It took me awhile to find a recipe that didn't require me to make a hole in the dough (seriously, that's a direction and, remember, I am lazy). I finally found this one that was simple to follow.

The coloring of the cornbread was less yellow than I'm used to seeing but they tasted just fine. They were also very dense so don't try to bite off more than you chew (sorry).

Cornbread

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup cornmeal
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup 2% milk

Preheat oven to 425.

Beat egg and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and cornmeal. In a large bowl mix oil and sugar. Add egg and milk. Add dry ingredients and stir only enough to combine. Fill a greased and floured 8 x 8 pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let sit in pan for 5 minutes before cutting.

Irish Soda Bread

Since St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays, I figured leading off with a traditional Irish dish would be a great way to start my very first blog post.

I asked my mom for my Nana's recipe (my mom's mom). She was born and raised in Ireland (County Cavan), so I figured it couldn't get more authentic of a recipe than that. It turns out that instead she gave me a different family recipe - one from my father's family's side (from County Kerry). She did realize afterwards, so I actually have, and tried, both recipes. My Nana's recipe is more bread-like, while the recipe from my father's side is sweeter. Both are great, but it just depends on preference as which you would like better.

Ireland is at sea-level, so I had to modify the ingredients a bit for the high altitude here in Denver. I looked at a recipe on High Altitude Bakes for some guidance on what adjustments I would need to make. I was delighted when both attempts at these recipes worked out on the first attempts.

NOTE: I used my trusty mixer, which made this not as painful to do - the batter is very thick and hard to manage by hand (although my grandmother was able to do it!)

FUN FACT: The cross cut into the top is to ward off the devil and protect the household. 

First is the more traditional version of soda bread (with my adaptations):

Nana’s Irish Soda Bread

4 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

½ cup raisins

A shake of salt

2 eggs

1 stick of butter softened

1 ¼ cup buttermilk 

Beat eggs, buttermilk and butter and then slowly beat in the rest of the dry ingredients (except caraway seeds and raisins). The batter will be thick; beat until all ingredients are mixed. Next stir in the raisins and caraway seeds. 

Place the batter in a greased and floured pan. Cut a cross in the batter.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes

Drop heat to 350 and cook 45 minutes

Bread is done when it is golden brown and the outside is hard. Store in the fridge.

   



For those who have a sweeter tooth:

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups flour

¼ cup of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup butter (soften)

¾ box raisins (12 ounce box)

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1 egg unbeaten

Sift flour and add powder ingredients.  Add all other ingredients (except caraway seeds and raisins). Once the batter, which will be thick, is completely mixed, stir in the raisins and caraway seeds. Place the batter in a greased and floured pan. Cut a cross in the batter.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour

Bread is done when it is golden brown and the outside is hard. Store in the fridge.