Bread Recipes

Banana Nut Bread

Tip: if you're short on mashed bananas add unsweetened applesauce to make up the difference

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (melted) OR 1/2 vegetable oil or shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (usually about 4)
1/2 cup milk (or buttermilk)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt optional
1 cup chopped nuts optional
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use a non-stick spray on 2 loaf pans, spray the sides as well for easier clean up.  In a large bowl stir the butter and sugar until well mixed. Add in the bananas, milk and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and nuts until it's moistened and there's no loose flour in the bowl.

Pour or spoon the batter into the loaf pans in even amounts, you'll want it each loaf pan about 3/4 full, it will need room for the top to rise.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Test with a fork or toothpick until center comes out clean.  Let cool and turn out of loaf pan (basically grab the bottom of the pan and flip it upside down into your other hand.

Again, this is a spot where I tend to add the cinnamon and nutmeg until it just "looks right".


Zucchini Nut Bread

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.



2 2/3 cup sugar (you can effectively cut this back if you wish less "sweet") flavor
2/3 cup melted butter - vegetable oil will work too
Cream the above together until well mixed

3 cups shredded zucchini
2/3 cup water
4 eggs - if worried about cholesterol, leave all but 1 yolk out
1 tsp. vanilla
Stir these - by hand - into the sugar/butter mixture

In another bowl, mix the following:
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps. baking SODA
1 1/2 tsps. salt (I usually leave this out or use just a dash)
1 tsp. cinnamon (I generally use more)
1 tsp. ground cloves or nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking POWDER
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts or almonds and pour until it looks "right")
Optional add-ins: raisins, carrots, pineapple in 1/2 cup sizes)

Pour a portion of the dry mix into the wet ingredients and mix well (hand stir, not using a mixer).  Add more and mix in well until it's all together.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prep 2-3 loaf pans, greased and floured and bake for 50-70 minutes.  Check it with a fork at 50 minutes, if it comes out wet, keep going until it comes out dry...like a cake does.  I usually get 3 standard size loaves out of this one.

If you like Pumpkin Bread, you can substitute 1 16-oz. can of Pumpkin (I usually get the pre-spiced pie filling), add a 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, and leave off the vanilla.  Roughly same baking time.