Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 c. sugar
1 c. finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 c. cooking oil
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

Grease 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside.  Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, slat, baking powder, and nutmeg.  Make a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside.  In another bowl, combine egg, sugar, zucchini, and oil.  Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened.  Fold in nuts.  Bate at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.  

Apple bread:  Prepare as above, except substitute 1 1/2 c. finely shredded, peeled apple for the shredded zucchini.

Flaky muffins

Butter
6 eggs
1 c. flour
1 c. milk (almond milk works fine)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt


Preheat oven to 375. Place a pat of butter in each circle of 2 muffin pans. Melt in oven.  Beat the remaining 5 ingredients together.  Place batter in muffin tins (each muffin will have only a bit of batter but will rise a lot).  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

These are good alone, with fruit on top, chicken salad, etc.

Lemon Bread

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk

Glaze:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, lemon juice and peel. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
2. Pour into a greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
3. Combine glaze ingredients. Remove bread from pan; immediately drizzle with glaze. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).

Corn Bread

1 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. cornmeal

2-3 Tbsp. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. butter

2 beaten eggs

1 c. milk

1/4 c. cooking oil or melted butter

Stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Add the 1 tablespoon butter to a 9x1 1/2-inch baking pan. Place in a 400 oven about 3 minutes or until butter melts. Remove pan from oven; swirl butter in pan to coat bottom and sides of pan. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick near center comes out clean.

Blueberry Muffins (Paula Deen)

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 c. sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted (it's Paula Deen, what else do we expect?)
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. fresh blueberries
1/2 c. granulated brown sugar or white sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and the 1/2 c. sugar. In another bowl, combine the butter, egg, and milk and blend well. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and with a spatula, stir until just combined. Do not beat or overmix; it's okay if there are lumps in the batter. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the granulated brown or white sugar and return the muffins to the oven to bake for an additional 10-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before turning the muffins out.

** I came across this recipe in Paula's autobiography. One thing I really enjoyed about that book is that at the end of each chapter, Paula shared a recipe that related in same way to the preceding chapter.

Grandma Larsen's Zucchini Bread

3 eggs, beaten

1 c. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. sugar

2 c. seedless, grated zucchini

3 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. nuts (optional)

Combine the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar and mix well. Add the zucchini and mix. Then pour in the flour, salt cinnamon, soda, baking powder, and nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 60-75 minutes.

Garlic Cheese Bread

16 oz. loaf of French bread

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

1 heaping tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the bread in half, horizontally. Mix the butter, garlic, and parsley together in a small bowl. Spread butter mixture over the two bread halves. Place on a sturdy baking pan and heat in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over bread. Return oven to the highest rack. Broil on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove fro oven, let cool a minute. Remove from pan and make 1-inch thick slices.

Zucchini Bread

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini*

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 egg

1/4 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1.  Grease bottom and ½ inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside.  In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; set aside.

2.  In another medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, shredded zucchini, cooking oil, egg, and lemon peel; mix well.  Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Fold in walnuts or pecans.

3.   Spoon batter into the prepared pan.  Bake in a 350 oven 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove loaf from pan.  Cool completely on the wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight.  Makes 1 loaf (16 servings).

 *Apple Bread: Prepare as shown above, except substitute 1 cup finely shredded, peeled apple for the shredded zucchini.  Continue as directed.