Grandma Quinlan's Banana Bread

February 09, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

There are some recipes that follow you through life and for me this banana bread is one of them. I can remember my mother mixing up a batch on a Saturday morning double-checking the measurements against the recipe card. I mashed the bananas myself in my post-college apartment(s) plural and tried to share with roommates. And now, I sift the flour in anticipation of guests, since it’s nice to have a little something freshly baked when visitors arrive.

This banana bread has a lot to recommend it – simple ingredients, no fuss process- but it’s really my favorite and the one I judge all others against because it’s the one I’ve been eating the longest. For me this recipe represents the perfect combination of a slightly salty, golden brown crust and gently sweet banana-laced crumb.

When it comes to the bananas – the riper the better – a few speckles are good, some solid freckles are better, but the ones where the peel is definitely more brown than yellow are best. I usually end up with a few good candidates through benign neglect of our banana supplies and what a heavenly way to elevate a banana just past its peak.

Grandma Quinlan’s Banana Bread (yield: 12 muffins or 1 loaf)

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 medium) mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Non-stick spray

Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Peel the bananas and mash with a fork on a plate until they form a loose puree with some small pieces of banana remaining.

In a small mixing bowl, beat together the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs until frothy and pale yellow. Fold the mashed bananas into the mixture.

In a separate medium mixing bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and fold together until just mixed.

Pour the batter into a greased bread pan or spoon into greased muffin tins.

Bake bread at 325 degrees for 1 hour, muffins at 325 degrees for 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, indeed. I used a dinner plate, small mixing bowl, medium mixing bowl, dry and liquid measuring cups and spoons. A loaf pan (or two sets of muffin tins), a spatula, a fork, and a mixing spoon.

The Verdict:
This recipe has been a family favorite since I can remember and when I baked these muffins earlier this week Mike, my friend Kate, and I made short order of them in just a few days. Addictively delicious without being overly sweet. So, so good.

Lemon Cranberry Bread

December 22, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

We just passed the longest day of the year, so scientifically we’ve turned the corner and are now on our way to spring, but practically we all know winter has just begun. Here in New York we can probably expect another 3 months of grey, cold weather, so I’m thankful that we have citrus season to look forward to.

It’s ironic to me that citrus is in season during the coldest months of the year, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth and just enjoy the gorgeous lemons, grapefruits, clementines, and oranges arriving here in the north.

While I plan to eat a ton of fresh fruit, I also want to incorporate citrus into my cooking and channel some of those tropical flavors. I can’t take full credit for this recipe – my girl Ina Garten’s Lemon Yogurt Cake and this recipe for Lemon Cake with Cranberries on Melangery helped guide my baking ways. Thanks Ladies!

Lemon Cranberry Bread (yield: 1 loaf)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup Chobani 2% plain whole-milk greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup fresh cranberries

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions:
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Next, add the vegetable oil into the wet ingredients, making sure it's all incorporated.

Lastly, slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Prepare a loaf pan by buttering and flouring the bottom and sides. Pour the batter into the pan and evenly sprinkle a 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries across the top. Use a bamboo skewer to gently press the cranberries toward the bottom of the batter spacing some closer to the bottom and some toward the middle.

Repeat the process with another 1/4 cup of cranberries, pressing them just below the surface. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool completely before turning out of the pan. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake.

Alternate Version:
Prepare the mini-muffin tins with non-stick spray or paper liners. Spoon the batter into the tins with a 1/2 teaspoon cookie scoop. Sprinkle 2-3 fresh cranberries in each cup and press gently into the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Yield: about 2 dozen mini-muffins

Glaze:
Measure the confectioner’s sugar into a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice one teaspoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. It should drip from the spoon in a thin ribbon.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes! I used one small mixing bowl, one medium mixing bowl, a mixing spoon, rubber spatula, liquid and dry measuring cups and measuring spoons. I also used a microplane zester and glass loaf pan.

The Verdict:
In this Lemon Cranberry Cake I wanted the lemon flavor to come through clearly and for cake to be on the savory side so that the addition of a lemon glaze wouldn’t make it too sweet. I love the citrus and thanks to the greek yogurt the cake is really tender and moist. This is perfect for a holiday brunch or as a fruit option on a dessert table.

Old Fashioned Gingerbread

December 15, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Something about Christmas time makes me crave warm spicy desserts like this Old Fashioned Gingerbread. I made a few small changes, but I really can’t take credit for this recipe; it’s something my mom found in a cookbook several (like 15?) years ago and it quickly became a family favorite. Case in point: even though the ingredients are standard spice rack fare the results are so delicious I even trusted this recipe when I needed something to bring the first time I went home with Mike for Christmas (6 years later it was obviously a hit.)

It’s deeply spicy and rich, perfect have with coffee on Christmas morning or gussy up a little with some whipped cream for an easy dessert. It also consists almost entirely of ingredients from the pantry, so it’s a great last minute recipe to throw together when guests arrive. The scent of the ginger, cloves, and nutmeg perfumes the air in such a tantalizing way, who could help feeling welcomed and loved? All that means is that you should definitely make this sometime soon, you won’t be sorry!

Old Fashioned Gingerbread (yield: 1 loaf or 12 muffins)

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup boiling water
Non-stick spray

Instructions:
Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl, beat one egg with a wooden spoon. Stir in the molasses, vegetable oil, and sugar until well mixed.

In a separate small bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture and stir together until all the flour and spices are incorporated. Batter will be moist, but a little thick.

Finally, add the boiling water to the batter. It will look like you’ve made a mistake, but trust me – continue to gently stir and the hot water will incorporate into the batter.

The gingerbread can be baked at 350 degrees in either a greased loaf pan for 40 minutes or in lined muffin tins for 20-25 until lightly browned.

Adapted and rewritten from The Flavor of New England cookbook (Page 165 by Grace Addition).

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, indeed! I used one small mixing bowl, one medium mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, liquid and dry measuring cups and measuring spoons. I also used a glass loaf pan, but this gingerbread can also be baked in muffin tins.

The Verdict:
Mike and I now have a copy of The Flavor of New England cookbook and the spine is cracked at this Old Fashioned Gingerbread recipe, that’s how much we love it. Usually chocolate is my jam, but it’s so addictive anytime I make it I have to try so, so hard not to just inhale all every last crumb in 24 hours. Now that’s an endorsement.