Pumpkin Bread

Anyone else working hard to pack all the wonderful flavors of fall into these final couple of weeks before Thanksgiving? Join us for some Pumpkin Bread over at FGG!

orange-cranberry mini muffins

Good things come in small packages… and that’s certainly the case when it comes to this week’s Foodie Friday feature over at FGG… orange-cranberry mini muffins.

sweet potato praline bread

I adore quick breads… always have. So much less fussy than the yeast breads I’ve always shyed away from (I hope to conquer a little of that fear this year), they come in such a wide array of wonderful flavors that I’ve always got one or two in my “must try” folder.

I have fond memories of many Christmases past featuring my mom’s amazing zucchini bread. Those who’ve been with me from the beginning will remember that I’ve already talked here about my quest for the perfect banana bread. And, come strawberry season, I’ll be sharing with you a lovely strawberries and cream quick bread recipe. Quick breads are where it’s at!

When I saw that this month’s Homegrown Gourmet, hosted by the lovely Gretchen Noelle over at Canela & Comino, was featuring the ever-popular quick bread, I knew I wanted to play along.

Alright… so what’s classically North Carolina? My first thought was pecans. My second thought was sweet potatoes. My third thought was of a sweet potato praline bread recipe that I’ve had rolling around in my recipe box forever. Bingo!

I’m so glad this challenge prompted me to try this recipe. It’s wonderful. The sweet potatoes and ginger mellow nicely with the familiar flavors of the bananas and cinnamon. And the praline topping adds a crunchy, sweet kick that makes this bread perfect for dessert (or, I admit it, breakfast). We’ll definitely be making this one again!

Ode to Carolina Sweet Potato Praline Bread
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 ripe bananas
2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
3 1/2 cups white flour
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup pecans, very finely chopped

Blend oil, eggs, banana and potatoes in a large bowl on high for 2 minutes. Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and white flour. Blend well. Add milk and sugar, blend. Add the whole wheat flour and pecans. Pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Makes 2 large loaves.)

Praline Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup roasted pecans, chopped
2 cups powered sugar
1/4 c. water

Cook butter and brown sugar over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until carmelized. Add pecans and remove to a bowl and cool slightly. Measure powedered sugar into a measuring cup and stir in water. Whisk until smooth. Using a fork, mix glaze into pecans, breaking up praline pieces while stirring. Spoon over loaves and allow to cool.

b-a-n-a-n-a-s-!

What do these say to you?

To me, they say (heck, they practically scream) banana bread.

I’ve looked for the perfect banana bread recipe for years and years. Most of the recipes I’ve tried leave me feeling rather disappointed. Either too dry or too dense… it’s never quite right. Until the other night. I finally found it. The perfect banana bread recipe. And all because I was looking for a recipe that used SIX ripe bananas. Serendipity, folks. Serendipity.

Beautiful, isn’t it? And check out the crumb…

Light, moist, banana goodness. Instead of full-size loaves, I made mini loaves and cupcakes (yes, really). Check back in a day or two to see what I did with the banana cupcakes!

My modified recipe behind the cut…