Pumpkin Ribbon Bread

I made this without the filling and it was the most moist pumpkin bread I've tried in a long time.

Oven Temp: 325°F

1 c cooked pumpkin

½ c vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 ½ c sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp cinnamon

1 2/3 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 c pecans, chopped (optional)

FILLING

2 (3 oz each) pkgs cream cheese, softened

1/3 c sugar

1 TBS flour

1 egg

2 tsp grated orange peel

For bread: Preheat oven to 325°F.  Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  Combine pumpkin, oil, and eggs in a large bowl.  Add sugar, salt, cloves, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and pecans; mix to blend.  Pour ¼ of batter into each of the prepared pans and set aside. 

For filling:  In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg and orange peel; mix well. 

Carefully spread half the filling over batter in each pan.  Spread remaining batter, evenly divided, over filling, in each pan.  Bake for 60-90 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean. 

Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and finish cooling on wire racks.  Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

I can't remember where I got this recipe, it's been in my stack of "to try" recipes for awhile and I think that it will be included next time I update my cookbook.

English Muffin Bread

Cornmeal
6 c AP flour
2 (.25 oz each) pkg active dry yeast
¼ tsp baking soda
2 c milk
½ c water
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt

Grease two 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pans. Lightly sprinkle pans with enough cornmeal to coat bottom and sides; set pans aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of the flour, yeast and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, water and sugar and salt just until warm (120°-130°F). Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into floured mixture. Stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Place dough in prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 45 minutes). Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove bread from pans. Cool on wire racks.

Yield 2 loaves

Lemon-Pepper Popovers

Makes 6 popovers
Active time: 15 min; start to finish: 1 hour

3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup plus two tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375 with rack in lower third. Generously butter popover cups.

Whisk together milk, water, eggs, and zest in a bowl, then whisk in butter. Add flour, salt, and pepper and whisk until batter is combined well but still slightly lumpy.

Divide batter among popover cups and sprinkle tops with additional pepper as garnish. Bake until puffed and golden, about 40 minutes. Cut a slit about 1/2 inch long in top of each popover with a small sharp knife, then bake five minutes more.

Notes: Popovers can be made in 9 buttered (1/2 cup) muffin cups; bake about 30 minutes before cutting slits.

My notes: I didn't have whole milk, so I used 2% and it made no difference in taste or quality. They just came out of the oven and they smell heavenly.

Source: Gourmet Magazine, May 2008

Beer Biscuits

1 1/2 T. sugar
6 oz. warm beer
2 c. biscuit mix

Dissolve sugar in beer first, then add to biscuit mix. Do not over mix. With two spoons drop into three-inch balls onto a cookie sheet. Bake according to the directions on box of mix. If mix is from scratch, substitute the beer for the liquid in recipe. But, don't forget to use the sugar.


Notes: If you're using Bisquick bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Also, lining the cookie sheet with tin foil makes for very easy clean up.