Pumpkin Ale Sweet Bread

Pumpkin ale is sold in the fall…it was not available when I made this so I used a Ginger Beer which worked really well. From October 2013 Chatelaine

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/3 cup pumpkin ale
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

Glaze
2/3 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp pumpkin ale
1/4 cup pepitas

• Preheat oven to 350 F.  Lightly spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with oil.
• Stir flour with baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.
• Whisk eggs with brown sugar in a large bowl.  Whisk in pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup ale, oil and vanilla.  Whisk flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined.  Scrape into prepared pan (batter will be thick).  Smooth Top.
• Bake in centre of oven until loaf is dark golden and a skewer inserted in centre of loaf comes out clean 60 to 65 minutes.  Transfer to a rack.  Let stand 15 min.  Run a knife along edges of loaf pan and transfer loaf to rack.
• Whisk icing sugar and pumpkin ale in a small bowl.  Spoon over top of loaf and sprinkle with pepitas.

Super Easy Banana Loaf

1 cup sugar
4 tbsp butter
1 egg
3 bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients together and bake in a loaf pan at 350F for 1 hour.  Let cool and enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf

A rich, moist loaf you will love!  Add some almonds or walnuts too if you like!

2 cups all purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

1 cup chocolate chips

2 cups mashed ripe bananas

½ cup butter, melted

¼ cup milk

2 eggs

• In large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add chocolate chips.   In separate bowl, whisk together bananas, butter, milk and eggs; pour over flour mixture and stir just until blended.  Spread in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
• Bake in centre of 350F oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean.  Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes.  Turn out onto rack, let cool completely.

Practically Perfect Pound Cake

A simple recipe I got from Todays Parent magazine June 2008.  In my younger days I would have had this with whipping cream and seasonal berries, but sadly today I just eat it with seasonal berries.  It is still yummy.

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour (do yourself a favour and only buy unbleached)
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
pinch salt (I usually leave this out)
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
3/4 cup (175 ml) unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk

Preheat the oven to 325 F.  Grease a 9 x 5 in loaf pan.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside for the time being.

Then in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until creamy and light.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg and scraping down the sides occasionally.  Continue beating the mixture for 2 or 3 minutes after all the eggs have been added.  Beat in the vanilla, then add the flour mixture in 2 or 3 additions, alternately with the milk, beating until the batter is just smooth.  Dump into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 70 to 80 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack and let cool completely.

Makes 1 loaf