HIDDEN VEGGIE QUICK BREAD
This is the secret weapon for getting veggies into a picky toddler (or older child)! It's a breeze to make and freezes well. You can double the batch and make two loaves, then slice, bag, and freeze the leftovers. Just pop in the microwave for a few seconds to defrost. Great served with preserves, cream cheese, peanut butter, or other spreads. (This is excellent finger food for babies, but be sure to substitute 2 egg yolks for the whole egg if your child is under 12 months old and cannot have egg whites, and omit the nuts.)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup vegetable puree (see notes)
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) or raisins (optional)
First a note on the vegetable puree:
Any vegetable will work, provided that you can get a relatively thick puree (about the consistency of canned pumpkin). For slightly more watery purees, increase the quantity by 1/3 cup and omit the water.
It's easy to make vegetable puree--just cook or bake the vegetables until soft, and then puree in a blender or food processor, adding small amounts of water as necessary. Some that have worked well: squash, beans, peas, sweet potatoes and, of course, pumpkin--or combine several. It's easiest to make extra puree and freeze it in 1-cup portions for future loaves.
To make the bread,
combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, veggie puree, oil, and water.
Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients thoroughly. Add nuts or raisins, if desired.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for about 10 minutes; then remove and cool thoroughly on a wire rack.
A TO Z BREAD
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. A to Z ingredients
3 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts
Use one of the following, or a mixture, equal to 2 cups except as indicated:
Apples -- grated
Applesauce
Apricots -- chopped
Bananas -- mashed
Carrots -- grated
Cherries -- pitted & chopped
Coconut -- fresh ground
Dates -- pitted, finely chopped
Eggplant -- ground
Figs -- finely chopped
Grapes -- seedless
Honey -- omit sugar
Lemons -- only 1/2 c. juice
Marmalade -- omit 1 c. sugar
Mincemeat
Oranges -- chopped
Peaches -- fresh or canned, chopped
Peppermint -- use only 1/2 c.
Pineapple -- crushed, well drained
Prunes -- chopped, only 1 c.
Pumpkin -- canned
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb -- finely chopped
Strawberries -- fresh or well-drained
frozen
Sweet potato -- coarsely grated
Tapioca -- cooked
Tomatoes -- use only 1/2 c. sugar
Yams -- cooked & mashed
Yogurt -- plain or flavored
Zucchini -- ground or grated, well-drained
Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add oil and sugar and cream well. Add your choice of A to Z ingredients, plus vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well again. Fold in nuts, then spoon into two well-greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
HEALTHY BASIC OATMEAL MUFFINS
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. oat bran
1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. raisins
2 egg whites
1 c. skim milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
3 tsp. baking soda
--OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:--
1/2 to 1 c. of any of the following (or combination)
Pumpkin (pie mix)
Mince meat (pie mix)
Yams, minced
Carrots, minced
Apples, minced
Apricot, minced
Bananas, minced
Mix ingredients as for regular muffins. Line muffin pans. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Add 2 minutes for each extra optional fruit. Makes 12-13 muffins.
Try also as a drop cookie.
APPLESAUCE LOAF
1 c shortening
1 1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
4 Eggs
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour, sifted
1 ts baking powder
1/2 ts baking soda
1 1/2 ts salt
2 ts cinnamon
3/4 ts cloves
3/4 ts nutmeg
2 c canned applesauce, sweetened
1 1/2 c oats, uncooked (quick or old-fashioned)
1 c raisins
1 c pitted dates -- cut in small pieces
1 c coarsely chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Beat shortening and sugar
together
until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each
addition. Sift together 2 cups of the flour, baking powder,
soda, salt and spices. Add alternately with applesauce to
creamed
mixture; blend well. Stir in oats. Combine remaining 1/2
cup
flour with raisins, dates, and nuts; stir to coat fruits
and
nuts evenly with flour. Stir into batter. Pour into 2
greased
and waxed paper-lined 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" x 2-1/2" loaf pans.
Set a
pan of hot water in the bottom of oven before adding
loaves.
Bake loaves for 2 hours. Loosen edges; cool on wire rack
about
10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool thoroughly. Wrap cooled
bread
in plastic and store one day before slicing.
Yield: 2 loaves
ORANGE MARMALADE BREAD
1/2 c. margarine, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
10-oz. jar orange marmalade
2-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. chopped nuts
Beat together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Blend in marmalade; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to margarine mixture alternately with orange juice; stir in nuts. Pour into a greased and floured 9"x5" loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour, or until toothpick tests clean. Cool 15 minutes before removing from pan. Makes one loaf.
HEALTHY ZUCCHINI BREAD
3 eggs
3/4 C. applesauce
1/4 C. oil
2 C. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla
1 C. whole-wheat flour
2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 C. zucchini, peel if desired, grated
1 C. nuts, chopped, if desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together eggs, oil, and applesauce. Add sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in zucchini. Grease and flour loaf pans. Large loaf pans bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Small loaf pans bake approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven to cooling racks and let cool until slightly warm before removing.
CREAM CHEESE BANANA NUT BREAD
With Cinnamon Crisp Topping
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
CINNAMON CRISP TOPPING
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.
To make Cinnamon Crisp Topping:.
Stir together topping ingredients. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Bake 350 for 1 hour, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning. Bread is done when a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from the pan. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes.
