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'Tis the season
"Muffins and loaves are the easiest of the quick breads to make for the holiday," said Martha White® baking expert, Linda Carman. "And adding pumpkin to the batter not only makes these breads festive, but also moist and flavorful." What are quick breads? The category of breads that we call "quick breads" includes not only muffins and loaves like banana and pumpkin bread, but also biscuits, cornbread, pancakes and waffles. They are called "quick" because you mix them quickly and bake immediately after mixing. Leavened with baking powder and/or soda, these breads rise in the oven (or on the griddle) as they bake. Self-rising flour and corn meal already contain baking powder, soda and salt, so they are perfect for making quick breads.
Here are a few tips to make sure your muffins and loaves turn out right every time: . For the best results, heat the oven, grease the pan and measure out all ingredients before you start to mix. Muffins and quick loaf batters should be mixed, poured into the pan and baked immediately. . Follow the recipe, but remember that most quick bread batters are stirred just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing will make them tough. . Shiny muffin and loaf pans brown most evenly. Dark pans absorb heat, browning more on the bottom than the top. If your pans are dark, reduce the oven temperature 25 degrees.
. Quick loaves usually taste and slice better the day after baking. Cool, wrap and store in a cool place overnight. They may also be frozen up to three months. Holiday pumpkin breads Time is always at a premium during the holidays, so having some easy bread recipes on hand will take some of the stress out of holiday baking. By keeping just a few ingredients in the pantry, you'll be able to make muffins or a loaf of pumpkin bread with minimum effort. Everyone will appreciate warm spicy Pumpkin Streusel Muffins for a holiday brunch or afternoon coffee break. Filled with cream cheese and topped with a crunchy cinnamon topping, these muffins are sure to be a holiday favorite. Pumpkin and Sausage Corn Muffins are an unexpected twist on this theme. This sweet and savory flavor combination is delicious paired with soup or stew for a casual holiday gathering. A cornbread mix simplifies the recipe, but these muffins are good enough to serve with your holiday dinner.
Although loaves take longer to bake than muffins, they are good keepers and nice to have on hand for a snack or unexpected company. Pumpkin Apple Spice Bread gets a head start from a convenient muffin mix which makes mixing so easy you'll want to make several loaves to put in the freezer. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Mix with spoon until crumbly; set aside. In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; blend well. In another bowl combine milk, pumpkin, oil and egg; blend well. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spray muffin cups with nostick cooking spray or line with paper baking cups. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Press one piece cream cheese gently into center of muffin batter in each cup. Spoon batter up and over cream cheese. (Cream cheese doesn't have to be covered perfectly.) Sprinkle topping over muffin.
Bake at 400 degrees F. for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from muffin cups. (Yield: 12 muffins ) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of a 8x4x2-inch loaf pan. In large mixing bowl, combine muffin mixes, spices and walnuts, if desired. Stir in egg, milk and pumpkin; blend well. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons walnuts, sunflower seeds and/or pepitas, if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees F. 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator. (Yield: 12 to 16 slices) Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In medium bowl, combine cornbread mix and sausage. Spray muffin cups with nostick cooking spray. In another medium bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin and milk. Add to dry ingredients; stir just until blended. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Store in refrigerator. (Yield: 12 muffins ) |
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