~Tasty Treats~

Tasty Treats

Are you baking a pie to enjoy tomorrow on Thanksgiving?  Do you have extra pie dough?  Use that extra dough!  Roll it out & bake a few Tasty Treats!  They are so yummy & filled with Craisins & Raisins!  Yum!

Tasty Treats

Time:  18- 20 Minutes            Oven:  350°F 

Ingredients:
Extra Pie Dough
Brown Sugar
Raisins
Craisins
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ground Cloves

Method:

1. Using a rolling pin roll out the extra pie dough.
2. Sprinkle on top 2- 3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar.
3. Then sprinkle on Raisins & Craisins.
4. Find your Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Ground Cloves.  Sprinkle on top.
5. Then, starting from the opposite end, start rolling the pie dough towards you, by hand.
6. You will have a log.
7. Cut into about 1" slices.
8. Place on a cookie sheet & bake for 18- 20 minutes in a 350°F oven.
9. Cool on a rack.
10. Enjoy!   

What a delicious treat!
 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

~Cranberry Bread~

This book has my fave Cranberry Bread recipe!

Pieces of chopped fresh cranberries combined with the taste of orange!  Oh Yum!  This Cranberry Bread is still my fave recipe.  For a long time I've baked this treat for Thanksgiving Day.

Years ago my oldest son came home from elementary school with a recipe.  That was unusual!  I know that fractions can be taught to children while cooking, but he had not been cooking.  His school librarian had read a Thanksgiving story to his first grade class.  When she finished every student was given the recipe for the Cranberry Bread that was in the story.  We had cranberries in our fridge, the recipe looked good, so during that Thanksgiving break, he & I baked this yummy bread.

After that Thanksgiving Day the book was borrowed from our local library & the story was interesting! Years later, when I wanted to purchase it for our grandsons, I learned that it was no longer in print.  Then, a couple of years ago there was the book:  CRANBERRY THANKSGIVING by Wende & Harry Devlin.  Guess what???  Two copies have been purchased- one for the boys & one for me!  :)

On the back side of the book jacket the delicious recipe is printed.  When baking this yummy quick bread, I use Egg Whites, no Orange Peel & all Cranberries.

Below are my "for best results tips" for this yummy bread:

• Wait at least 5 hours after it has cooled to slice & eat.
• If baking two breads, double recipe and stagger the pans in the oven.
• This bread Does Not Freeze Well.
•  Use Fresh Cranberries, not frozen.

Cranberry Bread
                         adapted from CRANBERRY THANKSGIVING
                             by Wende & Harry Devlin

Oven:  350° F                 Time:  1 Hour & 10 Minutes

Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Butter/Margarine, softened
2 Egg Whites (or 1 Whole Egg) beaten
3/4 Cup Orange Juice
1 Package Fresh Cranberries (rinsed in cold water and chopped)

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with PAM.
3. Rinse Cranberries in cold water (using a colander).
4.  Chop Cranberries coarsely.
5.  Combine Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Salt and Baking Soda in large bowl. 
6.  Cut in Butter/Margarine (with pastry blender or two knives) until mixture is crumbly.
7.  Add Egg Whites (or Egg) and Orange Juice and stir until moist.
8. Add chopped Cranberries to batter and stir in.
9.  Spoon batter into loaf pan.
10.  Bake at 350° F for 1 Hour and 10 Minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out   clean.
11.  Cool on rack for 10 Minutes.
12.  Remove from pan and cool on rack.
13.  After cool, wrap in foil.

I hope you have a chance to bake this Cranberry Bread sometime before the end of 2015 if not now!  What a treasure to find in a children's book.  I'll be baking my bread tomorrow.  

 Thank you Wende & Harry Devlin, Mrs. Pratt & Chris for all playing a role in giving me this great recipe!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

             

Bake a Butternut Squash Bread!

Butternut Squash Bread!

November & Butternut Squash go hand in hand!  I learned this a long time ago.  Growing up I didn't realize that on Thanksgiving Day so many families enjoyed this orange veggie served on their Thanksgiving Day Dinner table!  My family always did & we also had 2 large gardens.  This very tasty vegetable had its spot in one of the gardens.  That held true after my hubby & I were married.  Knowing that I wanted a garden, our kind generous landlord plowed up a section of his side yard so I'd have my veggie garden.  Nice!  The fertile Hampden County soil in Western MA was/ still is perfect to grow crops!  A surprise one August day was when a few cows from the local farm up the road walked down the hill, because they smelled & craved our (Silver Queen) corn.  They were shooed away without too much damage.

Cooked/ mashed Butternut Squash always found a place in our large freezer.  It's a given every year that a bag or 2 of this veggie will be used for Butternut Squash Bread!  What a moisty light dessert bread!  It's become a family fave.  Egg Whites & Olive Oil for baking & sauteing help create the light texture.  Butternut Squash Bread freezes very well after baking/ cooling, too.  This past weekend our younger son was "back home".  On his return trip packed in his suitcase was a Butternut Squash Bread that fit so well in a Ziploc Freezer container.

This weekend I'll be using this recipe again while preparing for Thanksgiving Day!  Have you baked one yet?

Butternut Squash Bread

Oven:  350°F      Time:  55 Minutes  

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves (optional, but delicious)
1  Cup Sugar

4 Egg Whites (= total of 2 Whole Eggs)
3/4 Cup Olive Oil for sauteing & baking
1 Cup Butternut Squash (cooked, mashed & cooled - defrosted if frozen)
PAM

Method:

1.  Spray 1 large bread pan with PAM. 
2.  Preheat oven to 350°F.
3.  Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl.
4.   In smaller bowl, beat Egg Whites until frothy.
5.   Mix in Olive Oil.
6.   Add mashed Butternut Squash to Egg Whites/Olive Oil & stir.
7.  Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and stir until combined.
8.  Pour batter into bread pan.
9.   Bake at 350°F for 55 Minutes or until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in  middle of loaf.
10.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 Minutes.
11.  Then remove from pan & continue cooling.
12.   Later, place on plate & cut into slices.

This is one yummy dessert bread to bake for Thanksgiving weekend!  The perfect time to bake it is now, while you're planning your menu.  Then, freeze the dessert.  You could use pumpkin, but the Butternut Squash- oh yum!  Your guests will enjoy this delicious treat!   

Enjoy!
Yummy!