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RE: Merry Christmas Sweet Thangs
12/1/2011 9:44:34 PM
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Hi LaNell, Thanks for stopping by to visit once again this year. I guess that you and I are the only ones that like these sweet cookies and treats. Oh well! These quick breads (or tea loaves, as I call them) are a regular staple during the holidays and I love to make and give them away to Friends every year at Christmas. It’s easy to make mini loaves yourself at home, either to serve for drop-in guests or to wrap and give as gifts. Their petite size makes them feel like a special treat, especially if you pack them with rich and fragrant ingredients like chocolate, cranberries, pumpkin, and spices. These loaves stay moist and flavorful for a few days at room temperature and lose little of their quality when frozen. Depending on the size pans you use, each recipe makes as many as four loaves, so you can take care of your gift list in just a few baking sessions. Sizes of miniature loaf pans vary widely. All these recipes were tested in pans that had volumes of 17 to 18 fluid ounces. Because most loaf pans don’t list their volume, you often have to calculate it yourself. Do this by filling the pan to the inside rim with water, then pour the water into a large Pyrex measuring cup. My favorite choices for mini loaf pans are the Chicago Metallic Professional mini loaf pan, which measures 5-3/4 x 3-1/4 x 2-1/4 inches (available through KitchenKapers.com) and the Hefty EZ Foil loaf pan, which measures 5-3/4 x 3-1/4 x 2 inches (available at most supermarkets). Once you decide on a pan size, look for shiny, light metal pans—dark pans made the edges of these breads too brown and dry in our tests. Nonstick pans worked well, but should still be oiled and floured to ensure easy release. If using the mini foil pans, place them on a baking sheet before filling with batter, to support the bottoms.
Quick breads come together fast, but how you mix the ingredients has a huge effect on the texture and structure of the finished loaf. Many quick breads can be heavy and dense, which is often the result of using oil as the fat and undermixing the batter. It may be nontraditional, but I use butter in my quick breads, which lends a richer flavor. This also lets me steal a page from cake makers and use the creaming method in mixing my quick bread, for a tender, cake-like loaf that is still sturdy enough to pack and travel well. Each of these recipes yields either four mini loaves, one 9x5-inch loaf, or one 12-cup Bundt cake. Pumpkin Spice Bread 
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter softened; more for the pans
11-3/4 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. finely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1-3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin (from a 15-oz. can of pure pumpkin)
1/2 cup buttermilk Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour four mini loaf pans, one 12-cup Bundt pan, or one 9x5-inch metal loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, and cloves. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on low speed with the stand mixer’s paddle attachment or on medium-low speed with a hand mixer until the butter is smooth. Add the sugar gradually and continue mixing on the same speed, stopping and scraping the bowl and beater as needed, until lighter in color and slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until smooth after each addition, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin and mix until it’s evenly incorporated into the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until well blended. Stop the mixer and add half the flour mixture. On low speed (for either mixer), mix until the flour is almost completely blended and then add half the buttermilk and mix until smooth. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until smooth. The batter will be thick. If using mini loaf pans, divide the batter evenly among the four pans (the pans should be about two-thirds full). If using a Bundt or full-size loaf pan, spread the batter in the pan (again, filling the pan no more than two-thirds full.) Smooth the top of the batter. Bake until the loaves are golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for mini loaf pans (60 minutes for a Bundt pan and 60 to 70 minutes for a full-size loaf pan). Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes to give them time to set and then turn them out onto a rack and flip right side up to cool completely. Cranberry, Orange & Walnut Streusel Bread 
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pans
10-1/2 oz. (2-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1-1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour four mini loaf pans, one 12-cup Bundt pan, or one 9x5-inch metal loaf pan. In a food processor grind the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon, pulsing in short bursts until the walnut pieces are small, 20 to 30 seconds. Set the streusel aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cranberry pieces and orange zest and whisk again. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium mixing bowl, mix the butter on low speed with the stand mixer’s paddle attachment or on medium-low speed with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and continue mixing on low until slightly fluffy. Scrape the bowl and beater. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl and beater, and add half the flour mixture. On low speed (for either mixer), mix until the flour drifts disappear and then add half the buttermilk; mix until just blended. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until smooth. If using mini loaf pans, fill each pan about a third full with batter and spread smooth. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the streusel over the batter in each of the pans. Divide the remaining batter among the pans, spread smooth, and sprinkle the top of each loaf with the remaining streusel. If using a Bundt pan or full-size loaf pan, pour in half the batter and spread smooth. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter, top with the remaining batter, spread smooth, and then sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top. Bake until the loaves are golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes for mini loaves (55 to 60 minutes for a Bundt pan and 60 to 65 minutes for a full-size loaf pan). Let the loaves cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pans on a rack to give them time to set and then turn them out onto a rack and flip right side up to cool completely. Chocolate Chip-Banana Bread 
4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pans
10-1/2 oz. (2-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 large or 3 medium bananas)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour four mini loaf pans, one 12-cup Bundt pan, or one 9x5-inch metal loaf pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients well to combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium mixing bowl, mix the butter on low speed with the stand mixer’s paddle attachment or on medium-low speed with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and continue mixing on low speed until slightly fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth between each addition. Add the bananas, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix until blended. Stop the mixer and add half the flour mixture. Mix on low speed (for either mixer) until the flour drifts are almost gone. Add half the buttermilk. Mix until blended, and then repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Continue mixing until smooth, scraping the bowl to make sure the batter is even. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. If using mini loaf pans, divide the batter evenly among the four pans (the pans should be about two-thirds full). If using a Bundt or full-size loaf pan, spread the batter in the pan (again, filling the pan no more than two-thirds full.) Smooth the top of the batter. Bake until the loaves are golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for mini loaves (60 minutes for a Bundt pan and 60 to 70 minutes for a full-size loaf pan). Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes to give them time to set and then turn them out onto a rack and flip right side up to cool completely. 
Have A Bright & Blessed Christmas My Friends, Phil
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