How to Bake Quick Bread - Apricot-Orange Nut

We love moist, fruity quick breads--and this is one of our favorites. It's nutty, flavorful, and full of wholesome ingredients. We would like to share this recipe with you and demonstrate the baking principles for wonderful quick breads.

The definition of quick breads is imprecise. Often cookbooks classify muffins, coffeecakes, and biscuits as quick breads--not just those moist loaf breads made without yeast--breads like banana nut bread and date nut bread. And there is a thin line between quick breads and cakes. Quick breads contain less sugar and fat than cakes. They usually, but not always, contain fruits or nuts to add flavor and moisture and make up for the low percentage of fat and sugar. When we refer to quick breads, we're talking about loaf-shaped breads without yeast.

There are two major makeup methods for quick breads--the muffin method and the creaming method. In the creaming method, we cream the fat (butter or shortening) with the sugar until light and then add the other ingredients. In the muffin method, we mix the liquids and the dry ingredients separately and then stir them together until just combined. Today, we will look at the muffin method.

In preparation, grease an 81/2-by 41/2-inch loaf pan. Dust the pan lightly with flour by placing a spoonful in the greased pan and jostling it about by tapping the pan against the heel of your hand. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack placed in the center of the oven. Your pan should have an even coating as shown.

Here are the ingredients that we will use in our liquid mix:

3/4 cups very hot water

3 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup (5 ounces) diced dried apricots

1 tablespoon orange zest

3/4 cup orange juice

1 large egg

1. Heat the water until very hot, nearly boiling. You can do so in the microwave. Pour the water into a large bowl. The bowl should be large enough to mix the batter in.

2. Add the butter.

3. Dice the apricots into 1/4-inch pieces and add them to the hot water.

4. Grate the outer skin from an orange until you have a tablespoon full. You only want to get the orange peel without scraping deep enough to get the pithy white second layer, which is bitter. Add this zest to the hot water mixture.

5. Squeeze the juice from two oranges. Add 3/4-cup of the juice to the liquid mixture.

6. Stir in one large egg. Use a fork to mix the egg well.

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients together:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 cup walnuts

Make sure that they are thoroughly mixed. We like to use a large whisk.

7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir with a large spatula until just combined. If it is mixed too much, the action will develop the gluten in the flour and the bread will not be as tender as it should be. (We don't like to make muffins and quick breads with our electric mixer.)

8. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven. Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes or until the bread tests done. When it is done, a skewer or large toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean.

9. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Invert the pan and remove the loaf to finish cooling on the wire rack. If the bread does not come free easily, the top edges of the loaf are probably bound to the pan. Try lifting the edges away from the pan with a sharp knife.

Store the bread in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to a week. This bread, like most quick breads, is much better served the next day. The bread can also be frozen.

Peach Variation. This bread is just as good with dried peaches instead of apricots.

Dennis Weaver is the author of "How to Bake", a free 250-page e-book. Which is free at The Prepared Pantry. The Prepared Pantry sells bread mixes and other baking mixes and offers a free Bread Center with recipes and techniques.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_R_Weaver

Improve Your Demeanor with Lemon Verbena

This herb is little used medicinally as it is a relative newcomer to Europeans and North Americans, being introduced into Europe in the late 18th century by the Spanish from its native Argentina and Chile. However it shares certain qualities with lemon balm, being a sedative and digestive aid. Taken as an infusion, it is also reputed to ease bronchial and nasal congestion. The tea has a delicious fresh lemon-lime taste with an even stronger citrus flavor than lemon balm.

Lemon
verbena is a tender perennial and best grown in a pot in our climate. The roots
are tender so it’s recommended to keep the herb in a pot even when planting out
in the summer. In its native habitat it will grow into a 15-foot high shrub,
but in colder climes it rarely exceeds six feet. Even in South America it is a
deciduous plant and will lose its leaves in winter. The herb can also be grown
as an annual, but it is best propagated by cuttings.

Lemon
verbena unfortunately is susceptible to both spider mites and whiteflies. A
strong jet of cold water is your best weapon against these pests. The herb is a
heavy feeder and will benefit by regular applications of fish emulsion. Unlike
most herbs, lemon verbena prefers rich, moist, but not soggy soil. The flowers are tiny, tubular, lavender
colored and generally appear in late summer and fall.

In teas
and cooking only the leaves are used. The leaves are long and pointed and when
fresh, tough. If whole, they should be removed from dishes before serving.
Dried, they can be finely crumbled and added to the batter of carrot cake,
banana bread or any baked dessert where a lemon flavor is desirable. Finely
chopped fresh, or crushed dried lemon verbena is delicious added to rice just
before serving, especially with fish.

The
fresh or dried leaves can be added to any dish where the addition of a lemon
flavor enhances the taste, including fish, poultry, marinades, salad dressings,
preserves and desserts.

For fans
of bread pudding, here’s a great dessert using the herb:

Bread Pudding with Lemon Verbena and Fresh Berry Sauce

12 x ½ inch slices bread, crusts removed

2 cups of milk

1 cup fresh minced lemon
verbena leaves

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon
juice

Berry Sauce

2 Tbsp. butter

4 cups of fresh (halved and
hulled) or frozen strawberries

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon
juice

2 cups of fresh or frozen red
raspberries

Dry the
bread slices in a 250-degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Then increase oven
temperature to 300 degrees. In a large bowl combine the milk, lemon verbena,
vanilla, salt and nutmeg. Tear the toasted bread into pieces and stir into the
liquid. Allow the bread to absorb the liquid. This will take about 10 minutes.

In a
small bowl combine the eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Beat until the mixture
turns light yellow and a ribbon forms when the beaters are lifted. Stir into
the bread-milk mixture. Pour into a buttered two-quart baking dish. Bake about
50 minutes or until the top is set and springs back from gentle pressure.
Remove and set aside.

To make
the berry sauce, melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the strawberries and cook about five minutes. Add the
sugar and lemon juice and cook for two more minutes. Add the raspberries and
remaining butter. Cook just until the raspberries and soft and warm. Serve
bowls of the bread pudding with the hot berry sauce.

Lemon
verbena was once used cosmetically, but there is some indication that the herb
may make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. It does however make a fine
addition to this:

Herbal Mouthwash

3 cups of filtered water

1oz. of fresh lemon verbena

1oz. of fresh peppermint leaves

1oz. of fresh rosemary

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the
herbs and remove from heat. Infuse (steep) until cool. Filter out the herbs and
bottle the liquid. Keep refrigerated and warm before using if preferred.

Because of its relative modernity,
lemon verbena has few legends surrounding it. However, the herb hung around one’s
neck or some of the juice drunk is supposed to protect one from dreams. It is
also used in love spells and is reputed to make the wearer attractive to the
opposite sex.

Bruce Burnett is an award-winning writer, a chartered herbalist and author of HerbWise: growing cooking wellbeing. Bruce and his wife Delaine own Olivia’s Fashion, Furnishings & Gifts (http://www.olivias.ca/) in Ladysmith, BC Canada. Read more published articles by Bruce Burnett on his websites: http://www.bruceburnett.ca/ and http://www.herbalcuisine.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruce_Burnett

I have a good recipe for banana bread I'd be happy to share...

I have a good recipe for banana bread I'd be happy to share....

You need:
6 very ripe bananas
1/2 c. butter
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. clove, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 c. sugar
3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

In medium bowl mash bananas and pour oil over top; set aside. Cream sugar and butter in different bowl; add eggs one at a time as beating with hand mixer. Add egg mixture to bananas and oil and mix well. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to banana/egg mixture. Mix well and add nuts if desired. Spoon or pour into 3 greased bread (loaf) pans

Bake at 250 degrees for 1 1/2 hrs.

If you decide to use this recipe and have questions you can email me.