Dessert Loaves Old and New

Dessert loaves - heavier than a cake, though often sweet enough to be one - are always a nice treat. They can have a glaze or be iced, though they do not need it. They are nice sliced and served with some fruit alongside. They can even be used as a sort of shortcake (think strawberry shortcake), depending on the fruit/vegetable involved. From apples to zucchini, there are all kinds. I am setting three more out here for your perusal.

One of these is an older recipe. Date Loaf, from my mother-in-law's cookbook. Her cookbook wasn't used as a cookbook for the recipes it came with, but instead was used for all of her recipes scribbled in any margin, inside covers, and any open spot. Other recipes, clipped from newspapers or magazines, were stapled in. But nowhere could I see that an actual recipe from the book itself was used, altered or notated in any way. Her Date Loaf, or Date Nut Loaf (just add nuts!) was one of these, noted in a margin somewhere. 

Date Loaf

Makes two 4 x 8 or 5 x 9-inch loaves

Date Loaf

1¼ cups chopped, pitted dates
1½ cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1½ cups sugar
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

In medium saucepan, place dates, water and butter and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, until dates are softened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once date mixture has cooled, add in the egg and sugar and stir well to combine. In a mixing bowl, sift or whisk together dry ingredients and then stir into the date mixture until well combined. Do not over beat. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Allow to rest in pans for about 7 - 10 minutes before turning out on racks to cool completely.


NOTE: To add nuts, fold in 1 cup of nuts after combining wet and dry ingredients together. 

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The Apple Butter Quick Bread came about as I had made Apple Butter, and then wondered if there was another way to use it. I came up with this recipe and it was truly wonderful. If you end up with a glut of apple butter, here is one way to put some to very good use.

Apple Butter Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf (about 5 x 9-inches)

Apple Butter Quick Bread

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup apple butter
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cloves
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup raisins, optional
1 cup broken walnuts or pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper, crossing them so the paper comes up the sides. Spray the parchment with cooking spray; set aside.

In a mixing bowl pour in the melted butter and apple butter, stirring to combine. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl whisk together the brown sugar and spices. Whisk this mixture into the apple butter mixture. In the same bowl (now empty) from the brown sugar, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into the apple butter mixture until almost completely incorporated. Add the raisins and nuts if using and finish mixing in the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 - 65 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

NOTES: Due to recent difficulties with getting my dessert loaves to come out of the loaf pans whole (as with the Lavender Nut Tea Bread, or the Zucchini Tea Bread, both below), I am now using parchment lined pans. This loaf came out cleanly and perfectly. 
 

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This last quick dessert loaf is sweet - sweeter than normal. It is a riff on my Apple Fritter Loaf, but done with peaches. I tried this first with my Spiced Pickled Peaches, but forgot to add the eggs to the recipe. 😒  While it tasted great, it sunk in the center and was anything but pretty as a picture. So, I made it once more, this time using peaches in heavy syrup from a can, being more readily accessible to most people.

Just Peachy Loaf

Just Peachy Loaf

Makes one 4 x 8 or 5 x 9-inch loaf

CAKE:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup pecans, chopped
1½ cups peaches in heavy syrup, drained, chopped

SUGAR TOPPING:
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice

GLAZE:
½ cup confectioner's sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
water, to make glaze consistency

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan, or line it with parchment and spray the parchment. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the Sugar Topping ingredients and set aside.

Make the Cake: In a bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and ¾ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined before adding the next. Stir together the sour cream and vanilla, then fold in, alternating with the reserved dry ingredients. Once completely combined, pour half the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Top with half the peaches and nuts, then sprinkle on half the Sugar Topping. Carefully place the remainder of the batter over top, then repeat the topping with remaining nuts and peaches, then the Sugar Topping. Using a knife, run a figure -8 pattern through the loaf, but do not over mix.

While loaf is baking, make the glaze. Combine the confectioner's sugar and vanilla, then drizzle in milk or water to make a medium pouring consistency.

Bake the loaf for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the loaf tests clean when inserting a toothpick down the center. Set the pan to cool on a rack. Pour over top half of the Glaze. Set the loaf aside to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and continue to cool on the rack. Once cooled, drizzle on the remaining Glaze and allow to dry.

NOTES: If perchance you have in your kitchen some peach flavoring and / or caramel flavorings, these can be substituted for the vanilla, or use each of the three in equal amounts.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A New Look at Some Old Favorites

I do not make dessert loaves too very often, but I do make them, and enjoy them. The oldest favorite of mine is Banana Bread, though as a child, Mom made hers with Bisquick®. I used Bisquick briefly when I first returned to the US back in the early 1980s, but after a 12 year hiatus, it just tastes too salty to me, so I do not use it. And now, everything is as "from scratch" as I can make it.

Of course if banana bread is good, then I had to tinker with it, and made Rhubarb Banana Bread. 😁

Then of course, when zucchini comes into season, and sometimes one ends up with a gigantic zucchini (my Dad was always so proud of his huge zucchini!), what can we do with it? Zucchini Bread, of course. I am not at all wild about zucchini, but it makes great Zucchini Bread, and then, as previously stated, I have to tinker. I just can never leave well enough alone. I guess ultimately that is a good thing, as it gives me the curiosity and ideas for new recipes. But thus was born Zucchini Tea Bread. 

All these are old recipes of mine, and aside from Banana Bread, I haven't made them in some time. So, I am revisiting these recipes, here.

Banana Bread 

Banana Bread

Simple and delicious!

Makes one 4 x 8-inch loaf

¼ cup shortening
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 bananas, mashed
2 cups flour
*¼ cup sweet milk + ¾ teaspoon baking powder OR
*¼ cup sour milk/buttermilk + ¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup nuts, ground 

Cream together the shortening and brown sugar, then add in the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add in the bananas and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder or baking soda (depending on which kind of milk used) and salt. Add in half the dry mixture, blending till combined, then the milk, and the rest of the flour. Add in the nuts and combine.
Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow it to rest 10 minutes before turning out of pan. 

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Rhubarb Banana Bread

Makes three (9 x 5-inch) loaves

Rhubarb Banana Bread

3 cups light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups sour cream
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon pistachio flavor (or use all vanilla)
2 over ripe bananas, mashed lightly
5½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ of a whole nutmeg, grated
2 cups rhubarb, thinly sliced
1 cup shelled pistachios, or other nuts of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 325 on Convection). Lightly grease or spray with cooking spray three (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans. Set aside.

In a mixer bowl beat together the brown sugar and melted butter. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, flavoring(s) and bananas; add to the mixer bowl and beat to combine. In another bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add these ingredients to the mixer on very low speed to just moisten, then increase speed to just combine. Add in the rhubarb and nuts and mix to combine.

Divide batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Batter will be quite thick. Spread evenly in pans, and then bake for 55 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out fairly clean. Allow the loaves to rest in the pans for at least 10 minutes before removing from pans. If they stick, run a knife around the edges of the pans. Cool completely on racks.

NOTES: These loaves, as with most fruit and nut loaves, freeze well. Once cooled completely, wrap in foil or place into zip top bags to freeze. 

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Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

Makes two 4 x 8 or 5 x 9-inch loaves
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 - 3½ cups all-purpose four
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup raisins
½ - ¾ cup chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the eggs, sugars, oil, vanilla and zucchini. Sift or whisk together the cinnamon, salt, flour and baking powder. Stir into the zucchini mixture. Stir in the raisins and nuts.
Grease two loaf pans and divide batter between the pans. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
NOTES: I substituted melted butter for the oil one of the times I made this, and another time I used melted coconut oil. All of these come out great! The amounts for the raisins and nuts is fluid - you decide how much to use, or IF to use. My mother-in-law left that optional in her recipes, writing in only "Raisins" and/or "Nuts". I added in the amounts here that I used, as a guideline.
GLUTEN FREE: This recipe, as well as most dessert loaf recipes I have tried, can easily be made Gluten-Free! Substitute your preferred gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, and add in 1 - 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum to the rest of the dry ingredients.

Zucchini Tea Bread

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Zucchini Tea Bread

Makes 2 larger loaves or 3 smaller; 5 x 9-inch pans

1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
2 cups grated fresh zucchini
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
½ teaspoon lemon oil (such as Boyajian brand) or grated lemon zest, to taste
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons Matcha Green Tea Powder, optional
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup raw, shelled hemp seeds, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two or three loaf pans with cooking spray, then line them with parchment. Do not omit this step, as these loaves will stick to the pans. Set aside

Place the melted butter and sugars in a mixer bowl and beat to combine. Add in the sour cream and eggs and beat well. Add the zucchini, ginger and lemon oil or zest (extract could also be used) and beat. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, green tea powder, baking powder and salt, then add in to the wet ingredients on low speed to moisten, then on medium to combine completely. Add the nuts and hemp seeds, if using and mix well.

Divide the batter between the pans evenly and bake for 50 minutes for three pans, an hour or more for two pans, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to rest in pans for 8 to 10 minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

NOTES: I was given a few yellow squash by a friend, and used one to make this same bread. I left out the green tea powder completely and used the grated zest of a whole lemon, instead of the lemon oil. The result was just fantastic - similar, but just that little bit different. Since yellow squash are as available as the zucchini, this is just another way to use them, when they are in abundance.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Remade Pumpkin Loaf Really Stands Out

Pumpkin Loaf or Bread is delicious. By its very nature it will be moist and tender. With a good amount of canned pumpkin or other squash puree, moistness is almost (but not quite) guaranteed. Still, sometimes I just can't help myself and I feel the need to tinker. 

Pumpkin Nut Loaf, straight from the oven

Last week I finally got around to baking and pureeing the huge Jarrahdale squash I had bought in late September. The beautiful blue-green color of the large squash had begun to turn to light orange, ripening itself over the months. This is by far the longest I have allowed a squash like this to set before doing something with it. Since we went away over the holidays and then things got upped a bit last minute to leaving a week earlier than planned, there were many things left un-done. The squash was really large. I never weighed it, but once baked and pureed, I got 14 cups of beautiful, bright golden puree. Since I still had a few packages of squash puree from last year, I figured it was time to use some of it.

Pumpkin Nut Loaf, sliced

The museum had a closing reception for an art exhibit yesterday, and I was asked to make something to serve at the reception. "Pumpkin" bread was my thought. I had a perfectly good recipe for Pumpkin bread already (find that recipe here), but like I said, sometimes I just feel the need to tinker with a recipe and see what happens. I sat to look at the recipe I had used previously, which used 1 cup of pumpkin or squash puree. When I puree my squash, I divide it up in 2-cup batches in freezer zip-top bags. If I was going to thaw 2 cups of squash, then I needed to use 2 cups. With that in mind, I opted to double the recipe. One loaf for the reception and one loaf for us. 

As an aside, while at the art reception yesterday (a mixed bag of art styles by artists from all over the state), I met a most talented man named Jim Green. He makes bronze sculptures, and the one that was exhibited at the museum was called Marsh Song. It was of a lone cattail, with a Marsh Wren perched on the head of the cattail. The piece was about 2 feet tall. It had such a serenity to it, and yet I could just "feel" that moment of startling flight as the bird would take off. It was one of the most lovely things I have seen. We talked for a long time. I highly recommend checking out his website: http://www.jimgreenart.com to see some of his excellent work.

Back to the Recipe

The next thing I noticed is that white sugar was used in the old recipe, so I went for brown sugar. The spice amounts were also increased, and then I added in sour cream to the recipe. The brown sugar and the sour cream are going to make for a moist loaf anyway. I lowered the overall fat content by using half oil and half applesauce. I also added in a tiny mount of black strap molasses. In addition to the nuts, I used up a half cup of some "Heath" Bits 'O Brickle Toffee Bits that were left over from a previous recipe, plus 1 teaspoon of cream cheese flavoring with 1/2 teaspoon butterscotch flavoring. It would be just as good to use a teaspoon or two of vanilla.

The recipe is very easily mixed together using just a spatula. Here is the recipe with its makeover:

Pumpkin Nut Loaf

Pumpkin Nut Loaf, served

Makes two 8 x 4-inch loaves

DRY INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves

WET INGREDIENTS:
2⅔ cups brown sugar
½ cup oil (I used olive oil)
½ cup applesauce
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin or squash puree
2 teaspoons molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup ground nuts (I used walnuts)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cups Toffee Bits (Maple Flav'r Bites, or raisins, or dates)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. If desired, as added precaution, line the pans with parchment.

In one bowl whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar with the oil and applesauce. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to incorporate one before adding the next. Whisk in the pumpkin puree with the molasses and vanilla. Once completely combined, stir in the nuts, sour cream and any other addition desired. Once well combined, divide the batter between the two loaf pans. It will fill the pans pretty high. Bake the loaves for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out almost clean. A few crumbs are fine. Allow the pans to rest for about 5 minutes, then remove the loaves to a wire rack to cool.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

What to do with Friendship Bread Starter

I am going to leave off the "Amish" part of the title, because my understanding is that it had nothing to do with the Amish. Regardless "Friendship Bread" and the starters that are passed along to friends, have been around for a long time. This is my third go-round with it, my first being back in the 1980s, when it was called a "Herman" Starter. 

Butterscotch & Caramel Friendship Bread

The second time I worked with this Friendship Bread Starter was about 4 or 5 years ago, when I was visiting my sister Barb, in Tucson. She had a starter going and was making the breads and coffee cakes repeatedly. She has a family with a lot of friends and extended families, and always has someone visiting at meals. Since my only experience prior to this was back in the 1980s, I really had little recollection of what I had done with the Herman starter, so Barb's breads were a revelation. Moist and delicious and with varying flavors as she would switch out the instant pudding flavors and other additions. The basic bread recipe calls for 1 or 2 vanilla instant pudding mixes to be added, along with cinnamon. Barb varied this, at times using Butterscotch instant pudding and nuts, or pistachio instant pudding and adding pistachios. Dates or other dried fruits can be added, and the spice does not always have to be cinnamon (though everyone loves cinnamon).

About a week and a half ago, while  helping out at The Granary, at the Dacotah Prairie Museum's Fall History Festival, someone brought in a few bags of Friendship Bread Starter (I'll call it FBS, from here on out), with the instructions for feeding and making the bread. It had been a while since last making and working with the FBS, so I took one of the starters and the instructions, eager to come home and see how they compared with Barb's recipes. 

While Barb originally got her recipe online, she made some small adjustments, in order to avoid constantly looking for someone new and unsuspecting on whom to foist a FBS. This is a great way to find all your friends are now unavailable! On Day 10, when adding in the last starter ingredients, prior to dividing the starter into "one cup for bread, one cup to keep and 2 or 3 cups to give away," she added in an extra half cup of the milk, sugar and flour. What Barb did then was use 2 cups of starter per loaf, where most recipes call for only one cup per loaf. She made two bread recipes, using 4 total cups of the starter, making 4 loaves, thereby leaving only 1 cup of starter to begin the cycle again for herself. Freezing the spare loaves was one way to keep the loaves, and the other is to give them away - a much more palatable option than gifting the starter, for most people.

 

Pistachio pudding, flavoring and nuts in Friendship Bread

What Else Can I do With my FBS?

All that aside, if you are interested in making the Friendship Bread, or Herman Bread, making the starter at home is simple enough: yeast, flour, sugar and milk. The recipes abound on the internet. I wondered though: 

1. Can the Starter be made gluten-free?
2. The breads and coffee cakes are so sweet; is there anything savory possible with this FBS?

Yesterday while visiting at the Dacotah Prairie Museum, I asked Marianne, who is gluten intolerant, if she knew if the FBS could be made gluten free? She had no idea. Okay, I had planned to go online and look anyway. This morning I first went online to search for Herman Bread. While no place I looked seems to equate the Herman starter with the "Amish" FBS, for all intents and purposes, it is the same thing. When I looked up "Herman Bread Starter or Amish Friendship Bread", I came to a site called Friendship Bread Kitchen, exclusively dedicated to all things Friendship Bread related. While perusing the site, comparing Barb's recipes and seeing what differences there were, I found a whole section on making the starter and the breads gluten-free!

I am not gluten intolerant myself, though I know people who are. Marianne at the Dacotah Prairie Museum is one of them, so when baking something to take there, if it is made with anything gluten, she cannot taste it. As a cook and baker, I love so much to give food to people. When someone cannot even try it, I feel bad. When making things to take to the Museum, I try to always keep that in mind and make all or at least some things gluten free where possible. For this reason, I try and keep this concept in mind. I keep a variety of GF flours and all-purpose GF flour blends on hand, just so I can experiment. I know my kitchen is not a totally GF kitchen, so if baking for others this must be kept in mind. A very gluten intolerant person would likely have difficulties with my foods, even though I try to be careful. Thankfully Marianne is not so extreme and can try the things I make.

As to the third part of that question, about making savory foods with FBS, this is also covered on the same site noted above. I want to take the time to peruse the recipes at leisure, but just at a quick glance I found two things I want to try; some Cheesy Dill Rolls and Cornbread. There are others. LOTS of others on that site. Once I begin experimenting, other ideas will come, and that's my plan. 

For now, in an effort to try and lessen the amount of sugar and oil, I used Barb's 1/2 cup applesauce and ½ cup oil, rather than a full cup of oil per FB Recipe. The starter itself is terribly sweet already, so I also lessened the full cup of sugar to ¾ cup, though I believe it might be possible to bring that down to ⅔ cup or even a half cup. I will be experimenting with that also. 

Friendship Bread Starter

1 packet active dry yeast
¼ cup lukewarm water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a small bowl. While yeast is activating, whisk together the sugar and flour in a non-metal bowl (glass or plastic). Add in the milk and the yeast and stir together with a wooden or plastic spoon. No metal utensils should touch the starter. Place this mixture into a gallon sized zip top bag and seal it closed. Mark the bag with the date and leave it on the counter at room temperature.
 
On days 2, 3 and 4, mash the bag around a bit. If the bag becomes very bloated, let the air out and re-seal.

On day 5, mix together and add to the bag:
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk

Mash the bag around well, then leave it on the counter for days 6, 7, 8 and 9.

On day 10, pour the mixture into a large glass or plastic bowl. Add in:
1½ cups sugar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups milk

Stir well, then remove 1 cup of the mixture to a new gallon sized zip top bag, mark with the date, seal and set aside.

Measure out 2 cups of the remaining starter to make Friendship Bread. There should be about 2 cups remaining in the bowl. Use the next 2 cups to make a second batch of Friendship Bread, thereby using the whole amount, or divide the remainder into 2 gallon sized zip top bags and give these away to two others, along with the instructions.

Friendship Bread (and Variations)

Makes 2 loaves (make 2 recipes to use all the starter)

My Pistachio-Pistachio Loaves, fresh from the oven

2 cups Friendship Bread Starter
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup unsweetened applesauce (snack cup size)
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
½ cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional, depending on flavor profile
2 (3.5 oz) packets vanilla instant pudding mix, (change instant pudding flavor for variation
1 cup nuts of choice, optional
½ cup raisins, dates or other dried fruit, optional
----------------
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the last 2 ingredients in a small bowl. Grease or spray with cooking spray 2 large loaf pans. Use the sugar/cinnamon mixture to "dust" the loaf pans. Reserve any leftover to sprinkle on top later.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (300 on Convection Bake).

In a bowl, combine and whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and instant puddings. In a separate bowl, stir together the Friendship Bread Starter, oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla, eggs and milk until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Add nuts or dried fruit if using. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle any remaining sugar ad cinnamon mixture (from dusting the pans) over top. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes before turning out.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Dessert Loaf Made with Honey

Honey Pistachio Loaf

While recovering from a trip to the dentist this morning and waiting for the Novocaine to wear off, I was casting about for something new to make. Nothing was coming to mind. Sometimes when that happens, I get out my notebooks full of notes. I keep a notebook by my chair when I watch TV, so if something strikes my fancy I jot down notes on what it was, or what about it called my attention. Many times it is a certain part of a recipe that calls me. For example, Carla Hall was making little parfaits with lemon curd layered with a whipped cream with marshmallow fluff. The whipped cream with marshmallow fluff does not call me in the least, but the way she made the lemon curd called my attention. Sometimes it is a sauce, but not the entree. Or a frosting but not the cake. You may get the picture.

Some of these notes in my various notebooks are pretty old, but that doesn't mean they weren't of interest. It only means I hadn't gotten around to it just yet. So, I have no clue where or when I jotted down something about a Honey Loaf. I haven't done much with honey as one of the main sweeteners in a dessert or dessert loaf. I know that it can harden cookies. I made some cookies when I lived in Guatemala. The recipe was from my 1966 copy of The Joy of Cooking. The cookies came out so hard that the only way one could actually eat them without breaking a tooth (which was why I was at the dentist this morning) was to dip them in hot coffee long enough to soften for a bite. Maybe it was that experience that has kept me from exploring the use of honey any further.

Honey Pistachio Loaf with cardamom and orange flower water

Don't misunderstand. I love honey and I use it a lot. Just not in cakes, cookies or pies. I switched from granulated sugar in my Mom's Bread recipe and now use honey exclusively in that recipe. Honey on toast is marvelous. A little honey drizzled over pork chops while they are cooking is also wonderful. So, obviously, when I jotted down something about a Honey Loaf, I was hoping to branch out in the uses of honey. Well, today was that day. 

My Orange Flower Water

I looked at the ingredients I left when I jotted notes. I had nothing about eggs. I wondered about that. I looked online. I found some pretty complex (as in multitudes of ingredients) recipes, as well as some simpler. All of them used a lot of the warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice and such. I felt that with honey I would prefer to go in the direction of a more Greek or Middle Eastern flavor profile. Some recipes called for butter and some called for oil. I was going to opt for melted butter. As I was noting what I wanted to do with my version of a Honey Loaf, I considered. In many places now I have seen the use of olive oil even in cakes. I felt that possibly that might be the direction to go with this loaf. I had a particular "flavor" dancing around in my brain, and I was creating the recipe to hopefully reflect what I imagined.

Ultimately, my version turned out just exactly as I had "tasted" in my mind, so I am more than pleased. Not everything turns out so well on the first try, but this loaf is just excellent. I used cardamom as the only spice, plus some orange rind and orange flower water. If you do not have cardamom or orange flower water, just substitute with cinnamon and or any of the pie spices you choose. You may use cognac or other alcohol in place of the orange flower water, or just use vanilla, which always works. If you use salted pistachios to grind (I used a small Bullet Blender with the flat blade for dry ingredients), omit the salt. If you do not have pistachios, use whatever kind of ground nuts you prefer. I would like to try this with pine nuts some time. The main body of the recipe can stay the same. The loaf grew beautifully in the pan and was done in just over an hour. Here is what I did:

Honey Pistachio Loaf

Makes one 9 x 5-inch loaf

Honey Pistachio Loaf Fresh out of the Pan

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 or 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup honey
½ cup olive oil (I used extra virgin)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon orange flower water
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1 cup ground pistachios

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (300 on Convection Bake). Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cardamom (or other spice), baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer bowl, combine the honey and olive oil and beat together. Add the eggs and beat the mixture at medium speed for at least 3 minutes. Add in the orange flower water and orange zest and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, mixing slowly to combine. Add the pistachios and mix gently until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the loaf to rest in the pan for at least 5 minutes before turning out on a rack to cool.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Triumph and Failure, Hand in Hand

I have had a desire to make a "Tea Loaf" (like such things as Pumpkin Bread, Zucchini Bread, etc.) for a while now - using Lavender flowers. I had some cookies a few years ago with lavender flowers in them and I just didn't care for them all that much, despite the fact that I love the scent of lavender.

French Lavender Flowers

Regardless, I wanted to try this out and today just seemed to be the day. I sat down and created what appeared to be a workable recipe. There is always the chance that amounts will be off a bit; a little too runny of a batter needs a little more flour or other binding ingredient or if too thick it may need a little more liquid. As I made this recipe, the batter turned out just perfect. Most of these dessert or tea loaves have a fairly stiff batter, though still pliable enough to mix. The batter looked great and tasted heavenly, so I felt this was a huge success straight out of the mixing bowl.

I sprayed my loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray poured in the batter and baked the loaf. It rose beautifully, browned to perfection, got done all the way through. I left it in the pan to cool for 10 minutes as usual. I ran a knife around the edges. I tried to turn it out. . . . .  and the bottom stayed stuck in the pan, with the rest falling into chunks in my hand. The best laid plans, so they say. . . . .

Okay, so I have no lovely photo of this bread to put here. I did take a photo of the mess (below) of what seemed to bode so well. The flavor did stand up to my expectations; it is just perfect. The lavender flavor is there, but nicely mild. The nuts give a nice texture. The color of the bread is lovely, despite the decidedly lavender color of the milk the lavender had soaked in. I believe this recipe would also make excellent muffins.

I will be making this recipe again, very soon. I will first spray the loaf pan and then line the pan with parchment and spray it again before pouring in the batter. Hopefully this will help avoid any sticking to the pan. In the meantime, here is the recipe for this wonderfully tasty tea loaf.

Delicious, but messy Lavender Nut Tea Loaf

Lavender Nut Tea Loaf

3 tablespoons lavender flowers
¾ cup buttermilk
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Heat the buttermilk gently with the lavender flowers until it just comes to boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Prepare a medium loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray or grease with butter or shortening. Cut two pieces of parchment to line the pan with a little overhang. Spray or grease the parchment.

Sift or whisk together in a small bowl the flour, baking powder, soda and salt; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until well incorporated. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the vanilla to combine.

Pour in half of the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed to combine. Add in half the milk and lavender and mix well, then add in the other half of the dry ingredients and them the wet, mixing after each addition. Add in the nuts to just distribute evenly. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake the loaf for 45 to 50 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before turning out of pan to cool on a rack.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.