Zesty Orange Bread

 Do you love lemon bread? This is similar...but it is dreamy Orange!

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Whisk together in a bowl:
360 g. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

In mixing bowl with whisk attachment, cream together for two minutes, scraping down sides:
1-1/2 cups (3 cubes) real butter, room temp.
2 cups (396 g) sugar

Add, mixing in between:
Zest of 2 large oranges
6 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp. vanilla

Slowly add the flour mixture just until combined...don't overmix!

Pour in greased loaf pans of desired size. Bake until top is no longer showing wet gooeyness. When loaves have cooled, drizzle with glaze:

Orange Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbl. fresh orange juice
Zest of 1/2 large orange
1-2 Tbl. milk to thin

Allow glaze to set before slicing loaves.

Glazed Donuts

This recipe makes 12-18 doughnuts...similar to Krispy Kreme!

1 Tbl. yeast
2 Tbl. warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening
2-1/2 cups flour
oil for frying

Dissolve yeast in warm water in mixing bowl. Add milk, sugar, salt, egg, shortening and half the flour.  Mix with mixer.  Stir in remaining flour with wooden spoon.  Knead on floured counter.  Put in greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double...at least an hour.

Punch down and turn out dough on floured countertop and roll out 1/2" thick.  Cut with doughnut cutter.  Separate cut doughnuts and doughnut holes on lightly floured surface, so they don't stick together or stick to the countertop while they rise.  Cover with light towel and let rise.

Heat oil to 350-375 degrees...use a thermometer.  Carefully place risen donuts and holes in oil, a few at a time.  Turn when golden.  Watch temperature carefully and adjust as needed.

When golden, remove from oil and place on a cooling sheet (over a cookie sheet).  While still warm, dip both sides in glaze.

Glaze Recipe:
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
4-6 Tbl. hot water, as needed to thin

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Looking for a recipe that tastes like those mammoth chocolate-chocolate chip muffins from Sam's Club?  This is it!  I bake it in mini loaves, but it would work for "muffins" as well!

4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 cups finely grated zucchini (don't squeeze out liquid)
1-1/4 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 5 mini loaf pans with non-stick spray.
With mixer, combine eggs, oil, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Fold in grated zucchini and mini chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake until edges are done and pulled away from sides...testing center as needed.  

Churros

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
(Hot oil for frying)

Combine water, butter, and salt and boil together.  Add 1 cup flour all at once.  Stir eggs in one-at-a-time (could use mixer).  Put mixture in large frosting tube with large star tip.  Squeeze 4" strips into hot oil.  Turn once.  Sprinkle churros with cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Almond Banana Bread

This recipe makes 7-8 mini loaves.

1/2 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. almond extract
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 bananas, mashed

Topping:  (or you could use glaze recipe below)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Extra sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease pans.  Beat margarine and sugar together.  Add eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla and almond extract.  Mix well.  Mix in mashed bananas. Add dry ingredients--don't overmix at this point.  Pour into prepared pans.  Sprinkle sliced almonds and 1 tsp. extra sugar on top of each loaf.  Bake until done, making sure middle is not gooey: 35-40 min. for small loaves. 

Optional Glaze:
Whisk together and drizzle over semi-warm loaves for an added moistness and tang!
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbl. milk
2 Tbl. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Orange Rolls

Using the same dough as used for Cinnamon Rolls, use half the dough for making one pan of these yummy orange rolls.  These are great for Easter breakfast and even better when allowed to cool for a while so glaze can set up.

Roll out dough into large rectangle.  
Spread almost-melted butter over entire surface.

Combine in small bowl and sprinkle generously over surface of dough:
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbl. orange zest

Roll up and slice with dental floss into 1"- 1-1/2" thick slices.
Put on greased stoneware pan.  Let rise.  Bake at 375 degrees until golden.

Meanwhile, make glaze in small saucepan:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbl. fresh orange juice (from the oranges you used for zest above!)
1/2 cube (1/4 cup) butter or margarine

Combine ingredients and boil over medium-heat for 3 min., stirring constantly.  Pour over rolls after they've been removed from oven.  These taste best when allowed to cool for a while so glaze can set up.

Caramel-Pecan Rolls

After cutting Cinnamon Rolls with dental floss, you can make a round-size cake pan full of yummy caramel-pecan rolls (or heart-shaped pan)!

For each cake-pan size:
2 Tbl. butter or margarine
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbl. corn syrup

Melt together in small saucepan.  Don't boil.  Pour this mixture in the bottom of a cake pan sprayed with non-stick spray.  
Sprinkle with 1/3 cup chopped pecans.
Put cut rolls on top of nuts--not too close to each other, as they will rise.
Let rolls rise until pan is filled.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 min. until golden.  
Immediately invert onto serving plate--Let pan sit on top of inverted rolls for a minute so caramel and nuts can settle into rolls.
Can be served as-is, or drizzled with cream-cheese frosting used for cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls

With this recipe, I make a combination of a few types of rolls:

Cinnamon Rolls

Caramel-Pecan Rolls

Orange Rolls

(Great for Easter morning too!)

In small bowl, combine:

2 Tbl. yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1/8 tsp. sugar

In large mixer:

1 cube butter or margarine

2 cups warm milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. salt

6-1/2 cups flour (could use 2 cups whole wheat flour combined with more white flour)

Yeast mixture

Combine milk, butter, salt, and sugar.  Add eggs and yeast mixture.  Add flour a cup at a time, mixing thoroughly.  Continue to add flour until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl.  Turn onto floured counter and knead a bit.  Put in greased bowl and allow to rise.  Punch down.  Divide mixture in half.  Roll onto floured counter into large rectangle.  

For Cinnamon rolls:

Spread or brush on almost-melted butter to very edges.

Make desired amount of cinnamon-sugar mixture and sprinkle generously over buttered dough.

Roll up.  Cut with dental floss into 1" slices.

Put on greased stoneware pan to rise.  Can be covered with dishcloth while rising.

When risen, bake at 375 degrees until barely golden brown.

Frost with Cream Cheese frosting: (This is a softer cream cheese frosting, so it's more spreadable and melty on the cinnamon rolls)

1/2 cube cream cheese

1 cube margarine (I like Blue Bonnet)

4-5 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2-3 Tbl. milk, as needed.

Streusel Coffee Cake

Bowl #1: Whisk together
1-1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Bowl #2: Whisk together
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil

Combine Bowls 1 & 2.  
Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)---I like to use mini chips
Pour in greased 9"x 9" baking pan (or rectangle equivalent).
Sprinkle with topping before baking.

Topping: Combine with large fork or pastry blender until crumbly
3 Tbl. quick oats
3 Tbl. packed brown sugar
1-1/2 Tbl. flour
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbl. margarine--fridge-hard

After crumbling topping over the top of the batter, bake at 375 degrees for about 25 min.

Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Makes 9 mini loaves

3 cubes butter (I use Blue Bonnet Margarine for this one)
2-1/2 cups sugar
7 large eggs
1 tsp. lemon extract
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. orange zest
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3-3/4 cups flour
2 Tbl. poppy seeds

In large mixing bowl, combine margarine and sugar.  Add eggs, extracts, sour cream, milk, and zest.  Mix in dry ingredients and poppy seeds.  Pour in greased mini loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min.  Remove from oven.  Let stand about 10 min.  Remove from pans and transfer to cooling rack.  Place cooling rack over sheets of wax paper.  While still hot, drizzle with glaze.

Lemon Glaze:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice (use lemon you used for zest in bread)
2-4 Tbl. milk (to thin)

Banana Bread

This recipe makes 5 mini loaves of dark, crusty banana bread...or 2 larger loaves.

½ cup real butter (1 cube)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2-1/4 cups flour

½ tsp. salt
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 cup mashed, over-ripe bananas

½ cup buttermilk (or ¼ cup sour cream mixed with ¼ cup milk)

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Additional sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or, if using larger pans, bake at 325 degrees).  Cream butter and sugar well together.  Add eggs.  Mix well.  Mix in bananas. Mix in buttermilk (or sour cream & milk). In separate bowl, whisk together baking soda, flour and salt. By hand, fold flour mixture into wet mixture, but don’t over-mix at this point. Add nuts, if desired.  Pour into greased loaf pans (mini or large).  Sprinkle tops generously with granulated sugar, if you want a crispy sugar top on your loaves. Bake until done…this will be longer than you think!  The edges need to be dark and pulled away from sides of pans.  Large pans will take an hour or longer.  Small pans will take 35 min. or so.  (Test if you need to…so you don’t get a loaf with a gooey middle!)  This is a yummy, dark, crusty-type of banana bread.

Zucchini Bread

2½ cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups finely grated zucchini (don’t squeeze out liquid)
3¼ cups flour

1½ tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Chocolate chips (optional)

This recipe makes 8 mini loaves.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and zucchini together.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix in nuts or chocolate chips if desired.  Bake in greased pans…mini or large.  Mini pans take at least 35 min. Make sure to bake it long enough…edges are darker and pulled away from sides of pans.  Allow to cool in pans for a bit before removing to wire cooling racks.

Gingerbread Loaf

Makes 7 mini loaves

Whisk together and set aside:

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

Mix in bowl:

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. orange extract

1/4 cup molasses

2 eggs

In separate bowl, wisk together:

3 cups flour

4 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp. ground cloves

4-1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. salt 

2 tsp. baking soda

Add sour cream mixture to butter mixture intermittently with flour mixture.

Mix all together,  but don't overmix.  Bake at 350 in greased tins for about 35 min.

Frosting: 

1 cube real butter

1- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

zest from one orange

1/4 tsp. orange extract

2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Mix butter and cream cheese a lot, until smooth. Add other ingredients. Frost loaves after they are completely cooled.  I like to keep frosted loaves in the fridge so the frosting is set.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar

15 oz. (about 1-1/4 cups) canned pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup sour cream/milk mixture

4 eggs

3½ cups flour

1 Tbl. cinnamon

2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. salt

1 cup chocolate chips (I like to use 2/3 cup mini-chips, so they don't sink to the bottom)

This recipe will make 9 mini loaves.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray loaf pans (mini or large) with non-stick spray.  Combine sugar, pumpkin,  oil, sour cream/milk, and eggs.  Beat until smooth.  In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.  Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet, but don't overmix.  Stir in chocolate chips by hand.  Pour batter into greased pans (2/3 full).  Bake until done…when edges are browning and pulled away from sides of pans.  Mini pans will take about 38-42 min. Let cool in pans for 15 min. before moving to wire cooling racks.  (Tastes even better the next day!)