Here are some of my favorites; all would work well in the smaller foil
pans for gift-sized loaves. These go back for decades, so I don't
have attribution, most likely they are from newspapers at the time or
labels on the containers of key ingredients. They have bolstered many
a bake sale, never any leftovers.
All of these are best aged overnight.
Test for done-ness by poking an unpolished toothpick into the center
top of the loaf, it should come out clean or with just a few crumbs
clinging -- NOT with any batter. Leave in the oven another 5-7
minutes if center still needs more baking time.
Most of these recipes call for walnuts, but pecans or hazelnuts could
be substituted, maybe even pistachios for holiday color
If you're feeling especially generous, substitute nut oil for the
shortening or vegetable oil called for ... match the nuts you're
including ... it adds subtle but phenomenally good flavor. It's just
not cheap.
For the adventurous, I have proposed a master recipe at the end of
this list of tested recipes, maybe one of us will come up with
something wonderful and new to share!
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Holiday Pumpkin Bread
this bread is very dark; serve sliced thin with butter or cream cheese
1/3 cup shortening (oleo is fine, the good taste of butter will be lost)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup mashed pumpkin
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup chopped walnuts
Cream shortening & sugar; beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in
molasses & pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients and fold in just until
well-blended. Fold in nuts. Scrape batter into a well-greased
9x5x3" pan; bake at 350F about an hour (knife inserted into crack
comes out clean).
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Nancy Kersey's Pumpkin Bread
I have no clue who Nancy K is, but this nice, light-colored bread was
attributed to her when I first made note of the recipe decades back.
1 3/8 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
1/2 cup oleo, melted
1 cup mashed pumpkin
1/3 cup water
2 eggs
Combine the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl and the oleo, pumpkin,
water and eggs in a larger one. Add the dry ingredients to the
well-mixed wet ones, just until well incorporated. Scrape the batter
into a greased-and-floured 9x5x3 loaf pan; bake about one hour at 350F
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Cranberry Fruit Nut Bread
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup oleo or butter
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (or whizzed in food
processor; you can whiz frozen ones just as well)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Sift dry ingredients together, cut in shortening. Combine peel,
juice & egg in a small bowl; add to dry mixture just until well
moistened. Fold in berries & nuts. Scrape batter into well-greased
9x5x3 loaf pan; bake aobut an hour at 350F.
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Apricot Almond Bread
1-1/2 cup dried apricots, ground or cut into 1/4" dice
1-1/2 cup boiling water
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspon baking soda
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup almonds, chopped (I use the pre-slivered ones (not the thin
slices) for ease) (do NOT substitute other nuts here)
1 egg
1 teaspoon orange extract or 1/8 teaspoon orange oil
Combine apricots, boiling water, butter, sugar & salt in larger
bowl. Combine flour & baking soda in smaller bowl; add to wet
mixture just until moistened. Add whole wheat flour, almonds, egg, &
orange flavoring; stir just until well-combined. Scrape batter into
well-greased 9x5x3" pan, let stand 20 minutes. Bake about 1-1/4 hours at 350F
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Pear Nut Bread
1-1/2 cup coarsely-chopped pears (2-3, in 1/4" dice)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly-grated if possible)
1 cup chopped walnuts
In a larger bowl, combine oil & sugar, add eggs one at a time, add
sour cream & vanilla. In a smaller bowl, combine the dry
ingredients; add them to the wet mixture and stir just until
well-combined. Add pears & nuts, mix until evenly
distributed. Scrape batter into well-greased 9x5x3" pan; bake about
1 hour & 10 minutes at 350F
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Banana Tea Bread
I'll bet my sister has raised over $5,000 for United Way over the
years providing these loaves in various sizes & varieties for bake
sales at work!
1-3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 cup mashed banana
1 cup additions: walnuts, chocolate chips, or half-and-half
In smaller bowl, mix dry ingredients; in larger bowl, combine wet
ones. Add dry to wet, mixing just until well-combined. Add banana &
addition(s). Scrape batter into well-greased 9x5x3" pan; bake about
1 hour & 10 minutes at 350F
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Banana Date Bread
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon mace
3/4 cup brown sugar(light or dark, to your taste)
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup melted oleo
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup dates, snipped (or use the sugar-coated ones already cut up)
In smaller bowl, mix dry ingredients; in larger bowl, combine wet
ones. Add dry to wet, mixing just until well-combined. Add banana,
walnuts & dates. Scrape batter into well-greased 9x5x3" pan; bake
about 1 hour at 350F
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Oat Flake Banana Bread
this originally called for Post Fortified Oat Flakes cereal, but I
can no longer find that so I have substituted old-fashioned rolled
oats. If you can find the cereal, it's great!
1-1/2 cups flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark to your taste)
1 cup mashed banana
1/3 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups Post Fortified Oat Vlakes or 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
Combine dry ingredients in a smaller bowl and wet ones in a larger
bowl; add dry to wet and stir until just combined. Add oats & nuts,
fold in just until evenly distributed. Scrape batter into
well-greased 9x5x3 loaf pan; bake about 50 minutes at 350F
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Draft Master Quick-Bread Recipe for one 9x5x3 loaf or several smaller ones
Dry ingredients:
2 cups flour (can be part whole-wheat or part old-fashioned rolled oats)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 to 2 teaspoons spices
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup liquid (juice, buttermilk, water, other)
2 eggs
1 cup mashed or diced fruit (pumpkin, pears, bananas, peaches,
mangoes, whatever!)
1/2 cup shortening, melted & cooled if oleo or butter, can be
vegetable or nut oil
vanilla if desired (1 teaspoon - 1 Tablespoon, to taste)
Add-ins
1 to 2 cups specialty ingredients such as nuts, chocolate or
other "chips", dates, figs, dried fruits, etc.
In smaller bowl, combine dry ingredients. In larger bowl, combine
wet ingredients; fold dry ingredients in just until
well-combined. Fold in add-ins just until evenly
distributed. Scrape batter into well-greased (and floured, if you're
nervous) 9x5x3 loaf pan; bake about an hour at 350F. Enjoy your new creation!