Dutch Apple Bread with Honey Ginger Spread

Whether in the late fall, when the first snow of the season may have started to fall or here, in mid-winter when the nights are still long and it seems like spring is still weeks and weeks away, the fragrance of something apple baking in the oven is a wonderful warming thing.

Generally kind on the budget too. I am blessed to still have apples in my garage-that-doubles-as-a-root-cellar, but the frugal cook should still be able to find some apple specials in local grocery stores. Today's apple bread recipe will stretch only a few apples into a loaf able to satisfy family and guests.

As a basis for my bread, I pulled out one of the few cookbooks I still reference, one I have been using for decades. Dolores Cassella’s A World of Breads, is once again the start for today's baking. As usual, I have adapted her recipe a great deal, but I don't think she would mind. 

Some of the adaptations I have made do contribute a bit to the overall nutrition of the bread--whole wheat flour, orange juice concentrate, dry milk powder, and using apples with their peelings intact. If you don't typically keep dry milk powder on hand, you could use milk instead of the water or just omit the dairy entirely. Because the price of butter has risen so dramatically, I have also shifted to using oil in the recipe as well.

To go with the bread, try the Gingered Honey Spread. This works well on many quick breads or yeast breads fresh from the oven. It can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for several days.

Oh, and one other thing (today's little kitchen tutorial!): some whole wheat flours are more coarse than others, and there may sometimes be some larger flakes of wheat in the bottom of the sifter. Just sprinkle these into the batter with the rest of the flour; don’t discard them!

Dutch Apple Bread

½ c canola oil

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

3 T orange juice concentrate (see NOTE)

¼ c dry milk powder

1 c whole wheat flour

1 c unbleached flour

1 t soda

1/4 c water

1 c grated or finely chopped apple, cored but not peeled—press the apples firmly in the cup

1/3 c chopped walnuts

(While you can use a food processor to grate the apple, I still like my very old-fashioned flat grater for small amounts like this.)







1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees OR 325 degrees if using a glass pan. Generously oil a 9 X 5 1/4 inch loaf pan. This will make a very high loaf, so you could also oil one or two individual sized loaf pans to put some of the batter in. Just reduce the baking time a bit if you do this, and think of a neighbor or friend who might be cheered by the gift of a little loaf of fresh apple bread.

2.  Cream the oil and sugar until smooth. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, orange juice concentrate, and dry milk powder and beat until light.

3.  Sift the dry flours and soda together and add alternately with the water to the beaten egg mixture. Stir just enough to mix well.

4.  Fold in the apples and nuts.

5.  Turn into a very well oiled loaf pan and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6.  Cool in the pan about 5 to 7 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool. Slices best the next day.

NOTE:  If you prefer, you can omit the orange juice concentrate and substitute 1/3 c orange juice for the water. However, the concentrate provides a more distinct orange flavor. 

Honey Ginger Cream Cheese Spread

3 to 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 T honey

1 ½ t ground ginger

Beat all the ingredients together until smooth. Keep refrigerated. May substitute freshly grated ginger for the ground ginger. If candied ginger is available, finely dice some of it and stir in to the mixture.

Using Juice Concentrates

Readers of this blog may have noticed that I often use small portions of frozen juice concentrates in my recipes. There are several reasons why you might want to try the same approach:

• I can stock up on cans of concentrate when they are on sale and keep them handy. They don't take a lot of space in the freezer even if I buy three or four at a time.
• The concentration of the juice can provide a big flavor boost in many recipes where the added liquid of "regular" juice might be a problem.
• I buy only 100% juice, so these concentrates add sweetness without excess refined (or high fructose) sugars. 
• You can try out many different juice combinations in recipes. For example, cranberry juice concentrate in this recipe, along with a half cup or so of dried cranberries, could change the flavor emphasis dramatically. 
• In a pinch, many recipes become more accessible even if you don't have the fresh, canned, or frozen fruit called for handy. For example, a main dish calling for a small amount of pineapple can be made with pineapple juice concentrate to keep the flavor blend even if you don't have the "mouth feel" of the pineapple chunks. Fresh raspberries may be too pricey to make into a quick bread, but a raspberry apple juice concentrate could be substituted for part of the liquid to still have end up with a raspberry bread.

Almost all brands of 12 and 16 oz frozen concentrates are the same circumference as a standard canning jar lid, so I can easily cover the opened can with a tight seal. (Of course, it isn't totally air-tight, so you wouldn't want to keep the opened can for months and months.)

Apple Butter Bread

This has been a busy week, with two large batches of raspberry apple jam and one even larger batch of apple butter finished and ready for winter. While apple butter is wonderful on toast, French toast, and pancakes, I wanted to try using it in some baking as well.

The following bread has a lot of nutrition and flavor, and the use of oil rather than butter (common in this kind of loaf) reduces the cost and ups the value of the fat used. While an alternative set of ingredients is listed after the main recipe if you don't keep nonfat dried milk on hand, I strongly suggest keeping it as a staple. Depending on your part of the country, it can be cheaper than fresh milk, but, even if the cost is similar, it is a great way to up the calcium and protein content of baked goods. The amount used in these loaves is equivalent to more than a cup of milk, even though only three quarters of a cup of liquid can be used to keep the overall balance of liquid and dry ingredients right. Finally, the overall heartiness of the other ingredients makes the whole wheat flour barely distinguishable, even for those who turn their noses up at anything but white bread.

As with most breads of this type, this is even better the second day, but you may find that the fragrance filling the house while it bakes will make it hard for anyone to wait that long to try this out. Spread it with a little butter or cream cheese that has been softened and mixed with a bit of orange juice and grated orange rind or just eat it unadorned. Good enough for dessert and not just as a bread.

Purchased apple butter should work fine for this bread, but I have not tested it with anything bu my own, homemade and wonderful, stuff. You can find my apple butter recipe (actually my sister Merry's recipe) at http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2010/12/apple-butter.html

I did decrease the cloves a bit when I made this batch, since our family prefers a little less of that very strong spice. One more nice thing about making your own--you can adjust the spices to match your own preferences!

Apple Butter Bread

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup water

1 T lemon juice

1/2 c nonfat dried milk powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 cups all-purpose flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground allspice

1 cup apple butter

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 c dried cranberries

1.  Put the cranberries in the water and microwave about 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2.  Combine oil, brown sugar, egg, lemon juice, apple butter, and dried milk powder. 

3.  Sift together dried ingredients.

4.  Alternately add the flour mixture and cooled cranberries and water to the egg and oil mixture. Stir just to blend. Fold in the nuts.

5.  Pour the batter into two well-greased 8 ½ X 4 ½  inch loaf pans. This might be a good time to use a baking spray like Pam, to be sure that the breads will not stick to the pans when done--an all too common problem with some of this rich breads!

6.  Bake at 350 degrees (325 if in a glass pan) for about 35 to 37 minutes. Allow to cool in the pans for 10 to 12 minutes before turning out on to a rack. If storing for more than a day, these are best kept tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

VARIATION:

If you do not have dried milk available, make the following changes:

Use 3/4 c skim or 2 % milk instead of water.

Do NOT heat the cranberries in the milk. Instead in step 4, add the milk alternately with the flour mixture. Then fold in the dried cranberries with the nuts. 

 (NOTE: Okay, so the recipe calls for using two 8 ½ X 4 ½  inch loaf pans, but you may have noticed the photo shows two differently shaped loaves. I only have one of these pans in my cupboard, so one of the loaves was baked in a 9 X 5 inch pan. It just makes a little broader slice, which may be your preference anyway!

Corn Bread

When I was growing up, I was often jealous of those around me who had "ethnic" backgrounds that gave them lots of unusual foods and celebrations. A Midwestern farm kid whose family had been in the US since as far back as the 18th century, our food seemed plain and ordinary at times. Oh,  there were lots of summer garden meals with corn on the cob, tomatoes straight from the garden and big bowls of creamy mashed potatoes served alongside the chicken or beef that came from our very own farm animals. At Christmas, we made pfefferneuse, but these spicy German cookies were from a recipe shared by a good friend of my parents. When my sister married a Norwegian, we got to sample krumkake for the first time, and an Italian exchange student shared stories of what "real" pizza was like back in his home town.

Still, what "ethnic" food did we really have? I guess it took a move to the mountains of Virginia to start to understand that our cuisine really was a little bit unique. It didn't take very long to learn that stuffing (or dressing) at Thanksgiving could be very dry, with lots of cornbread and not at all like the much more moist recipe I had eaten all my life to that point.

And beans and cornbread? Ah, that is when I realized I really did still have some New England roots.

One evening, I invited a neighbor child to stay for dinner. What are you having was her first question, so I said we'd be having beans and cornbread. "My favorite," she squealed, so she called her mom and the permission was given.

Soon enough, we were sitting down to eat, and I brought the dark brown, molasses and mustard spiced beans out of the oven and placed the hot casserole next to the basket of still steaming yellow cornbread squares. As she gazed at the dishes before her, Marla's shoulders sagged and her expectant smile turned into a sad little face.

"I thought we were having beans and cornbread," she whispered.

"But we are," I explained, and then I stopped. I had been at another neighbor's home just a few days before and watched as she dumped pinto beans into a large pot and began cooking them for the evening meal. She stirred in some salt, but that was the extent of the seasoning she used. When I asked for the rest of the recipe, she said that was it; she hadn't had time to pick up any bacon or fatback to add to the beans, but this would be fine with the greens she was also cooking for the meal.

Then I thought back to some cornbread I had seen served at a restaurant near our home. It was flat and hard and "lily-livered" white, very different from the golden, sweet, and moist side I had enjoyed all my life.

Aha! The difference in regional cuisine couldn't have been illustrated more starkly. Marla gamely tried the dishes she was served and then, as I recall, we made some peanut butter sandwiches to make sure she didn't go home hungry. And though I have since learned to love pinto beans in their many (mostly Mexican) guises, I have not moved from my "classic" corn bread recipe--maybe the closest thing to an "ethnic food" I can summon up.

As presented below, this is virtually the same as the now stained recipe card from my high school home ec class. I now use stone-ground cornmeal exclusively, and I use either all butter, canola oil, or some combination of the two. I often substitute up to half of the flour with whole wheat flour, and I have discovered that the original four teaspoons of baking powder is really not necessary.

Following the main recipe is a variation using biscuit mix, making this an even quicker quick bread, and then, instructions for making a cast iron skillet cornbread that has a lovely crunchy crust even as the center is moist and rich with sweet corn flavor.  (Sorry, friends from the south, but I just have to call this the "real" recipe.)

...And not to worry:
Note the following photo. If you get a few cracks in the top of your baked cornbread--don't worry! That is just the way this quick bread sometimes bakes. In fact, it just shows that you have baked this yourself, from scratch.

The "Real" Corn Bread

1 c yellow corn meal

1 c flour

¼ c sugar

1 T baking powder

½ t salt

1 egg

1 c milk*

¼ c soft butter or margarine or canola oil

1. Sift dry ingredients together.

2 Add egg, milk, and shortening. Beat with egg beater, fork, or whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. 

3. Pour into a well oiled 8 or 9 inch square pan. 

4. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. (If a glass pan is used, reduce temperature to 400 degrees.)

*May substitute 1 cup water and 1/3 c nonfat dry milk powder. Mix the dry milk powder with the other dry ingredients. 

Serve warm or cold, with butter and jam or honey, or as a wonderful side for chili.

This doubles easily--use a 9 X 13 pan.


Biscuit Mix Variation

1 ¼ c biscuit mix (Bisquick for example)

1 c cornmeal

¼ c sugar

1 c milk

1 egg

Prepare as in original recipe.


Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Put about a tablespoon of the butter into a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet and put the skillet in the oven.
Turn the oven to 425 degrees and proceed to stirring up the cornbread.
When the oven has reached its full temperature, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and swirl to be sure the butter covers the entire bottom of the pan.
Spread the batter into the hot pan and return it to the oven. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Plan Ahead Corn Bread

One more thing--while you are mixing up a batch and have all the ingredients out for measuring,  measure out the dry ingredients for another batch (or more) directly into a quart-sized freezer bag. (This is especially good using the dry milk variation, stirring in the powder with the other dry ingredients.) Use your hands to mix the ingredients in the bag and label with date and information on the liquid ingredients needed, and you will have a "mix" just as convenient at one of those little boxes you might buy in the store--without all the extra preservatives and at a lot better price! These can be kept on the shelf for a few weeks and in the refrigerator for even longer.

Applesauce Zucchini Muffins

There was a time when muffins were the plain Jane cousins of cupcakes, back before they were laden with chocolate chips and dried cranberries, covered with thick layers of streusel topping and loaded up with butter or oil and lots and lots of sugar. They had few ingredients and were usually served with butter and some kind of jam or preserves.

I'd like to suggest that simple muffins of the plainer variety can still be something your family will love even as they are getting more nutrition and fewer empty calories. Today's recipe is one of those basic breads, perfect for having ready when the kids get home from school and can't wait for dinner. Because of the applesauce in the mix, you won't even need to serve with jam--though that is certainly a possibility that most kids will not turn down.

Following the recipe are a few variation suggestions, along with thoughts on how to cut down on prep time when you really, really want to get something in the oven quickly.

Applesauce Zucchini Muffins

2 c unbleached flour (can use up to 1 c of whole wheat flour to substitute for part of the flour)
1/3 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 c grated zucchini OR yellow summer squash, lightly packed
approximately 3/4 c applesauce
milk--see Step 2
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 T butter, melted (may substitute canola oil)

1.  Stir the dry ingredients in a bowl until well mixed.  Form a well in the middle; this is where you will be pouring the rest of the ingredients
2.  Place the zucchini and applesauce in a 2 cup measure and fill to the top with milk.
3.  Pour the zucchini applesauce mixture into the well, along with the egg and butter.  Stir gently, only until the mixture is completely blended, with no dry spots. The batter may be a bit lumpy--that is fine!
4.  Spoon the mixture into well-oiled muffin pans. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 14 minutes. Remove from pans while still hot and place on a cooling rack. Best served warm from the oven, while the fragrance fills the house.

This makes 12 to 14 muffins. (If you only have one muffin pan that holds 12 muffins, you can put the remaining batter into a small loaf pan and bake for perhaps a minute or two longer than the muffins.)

Variations:

This is a pretty basic muffin recipe, with little fat because of the applesauce. You can add in raisins or nuts or sunflower seeds, substitute grated carrots or butternut squash for the zucchini, and even mix in half a cup or so of blueberries or chopped strawberries or raspberries.  The sugar could be increased by a tablespoon or two if you use tart berries. Add nutmeg or ginger along with the cinnamon or leave all the spices out and add some grated orange or lemon rind. A half teaspoon of vanilla could also be used instead of the spices.

Make Ahead Hints

I used a package of grated summer squash from my freezer for this week's muffins, so these were especially quick to make. In season, I grate what always seems like an overabundance of zucchini and squash and package in 1 cup portions, in the cheap sandwich bags that fold over rather than zip closed. I then put several of these into a larger (1 gallon size is good) freezer bag. When packaged in this way and used within the next several months, there is no need to blanch these vegetables.

Even if you don't have garden produce to use in this recipe, why not grate several cups while you have the grater (or processor or blender) out and freeze the extras in the same way? Carrots could be frozen for up to a couple of months for use in later muffin, cake, or other recipes.

If you like the idea of making basic muffins like these, measure out the flour, sugar, and baking powder and put them into a small zippered plastic bag. Make up three or four of these at a time. Label each with what is inside and keep in a sealed canister or quart jar. Then, when you are ready for muffins, you have a head start; just take out a bag as though it was a purchased mix and add the remaining ingredients.

With pre-mixed dry ingredients and pre-grated veggies, these muffins take less time to stir together than it will take to get the oven pre-heated. 

Wonderful Orange Butter...and a Quick Apricot Bread on Which to Spread It

Sometimes the best place to start with a cooking or baking project is with the sides or accompaniments. Think about your basic boneless, skinless chicken breasts. On their own, they are really pretty tasteless and, well, dull. However, prepare some great sauce or cook up a vegetable side and add some marinaded and braised chicken cubes and you have something spectacular--or at least a dish your family and guests will ask for again and again.

The Orange Butter in today's post has the characteristic of dressing up all manner of breads, from plain dinner rolls (maybe left over for a day or two and needing to be warmed and perked up with something like this) to old-style muffins (you know, the kind that never had so much sugar and fat in the basic recipe) to quick breads like the apricot nut version included today.

Whatever you serve it on, there will be an added burst of enthusiasm for your efforts--even though this is super easy to make. It will keep in the refrigerator for a week and has the great advantage of being spreadable while still fully chilled. So go ahead and try a batch, even if all you have to spread it on is some basic store-bought bread.

Orange Butter Spread

1/4 c butter
1/4 c low fat cream cheese
2 T fresh-squeezed orange juice--don't worry if there is pulp included
1 t or so grated orange rind (may be omitted if you just don't have the patience for grating)
1 to 2 t powdered sugar, to taste

1.  Cut the butter and cream cheese into small chunks and put in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on Low power in the microwave for about 45 seconds, or until both are soft enough to spread.
2.  Add in the orange juice and rind and stir all together until well blended.
3.  Stir in the powdered sugar to taste.

This can be served immediately or refrigerated for later use. Recipe is easily doubled.

Substitution: If you don't have fresh oranges available, a tablespoon of frozen orange juice concentrate (don't dilute) can be substituted for the fresh juice. However, this is really best with fresh oranges.

Now, for something to put the spread on. I found a wonderful buy on dried apricots recently, so I have lots to use for eating (a wonderful snack for anyone with a sweet tooth) and baking. This quick bread recipe is adapted from a cookbook I used regularly way back in the 70s.  (No longer in print, A World of Breads by Dolores Casella is still a great reference and idea starter, and I recommend it highly if you ever find it in a used book store.)

If you haven't noticed before, I rely on my food processor a lot, and this was an ideal place to use it. However, I have added a suggested method following the main recipe if you don't have this wonderful appliance. Either way, the bread is hearty, tasty, and the perfect foil for Orange Butter, and much easier to make than the rather complicated directions might indicate.

Just one more thing--this bread is best made the day before serving. While tasty the first day, it has a tendency to crumble; waiting one more day will give much nicer slices. 

Apricot Nut Bread

1/2 c sugar
1/4 c canola oil
1 egg
1 c yogurt
1/2 c GrapeNuts cereal (store brands of this "nutty nugget" cereal are fine)
1 c rehydrated, dried apricots (see step 1 below)
2 t grated orange rind
2 c flour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t soda
1 c walnut pieces

1.  Measure one cup dried apricot halves, packing them a bit. Place in a microwave-safe dish, add about 1/2 cup water, just barely enough to cover. Cover the container and microwave for about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

2.  Meanwhile, combine the yogurt and the cereal in a two cup measure and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.

3.  Pulse the walnuts in the food processor with the metal chopping blade. Remove the nuts. Pour the apricots and the liquid in which they were cooked into the processor, still with the metal chopping blade, and process until quite finely chopped.

4.  It may be a little messy, but remove the metal blade and replace with the plastic dough blade, even as you leave the apricots in the bowl of the processor. Now add the sugar, oil, egg, orange rind, and yogurt-Grapenuts mixture. Process until this mixture is completely blended.

5.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and soda and add to the processor bowl. Mix, using the pulse setting, only long enough to blend the mixture. It will be thick, so you may need to scrape down the sides once or twice. The key is to not overbeat at this stage. 

6.  Add the nuts and again, pulse just a couple of times, only enough to blend them into the batter.

7.  Pour the batter into two well oiled loaf pans (about 4 1/2 X 8 inch). Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Alternate Mixing Method

Preparation:
Use a blender to chop the apricots after cooking OR chop them manually (kitchen scissors work best) before or after cooking.

Chop or grind the nuts with your usual nut grinder OR purchase chopped walnuts.

1.  Prepare the yogurt and GrapeNuts as in step 2 above.
2.  Beat together the oil, sugar, egg, orange rind and softened yogurt/GrapeNuts mixture.
3.  Sift together the dry ingredients and stir into the liquid ingredients. Stir only enough to be sure all the dry material is moistened.
3.  Fold in the nuts and proceed as in step 7 above.

Alternate Ingredients

Though I have not tried this, the original recipe called for "bran" instead of GrapeNuts, with no soaking step. My guess is that Ms. Casella may have been speaking of AllBran cereal rather than plain wheat bran. I'd be interested if anyone tries one or the other variation, to see what your results are.

Cranberry Banana Bread

As last minute home-baked hostess gifts or a contribution to a holiday potluck, quick breads are a great thing to have in your kitchen repertoire. The one featured today upgrades the old familiar banana bread with the bright colors of cranberries. This recipe makes one full sized loaf or four small, "gift-sized" loaves and should be easily doubled. If your bananas threaten to over-ripen before you can get to them, mash them and freeze in cup-sized portions. Cranberries can also be frozen if purchased when they are at their seasonal price lows, so you could have all the ingredients for this recipe at your fingertips at any time. I've included methods for making this both with a processor and the old-fashioned mixing bowl way.

Cranberry Banana Bread

2 large or 3 medium very ripe bananas (about 1 cup)
1/3 c oil
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves
1 c cranberries--fresh or frozen--about half a 12 oz bag
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Processor method

1.  Chop the cranberries coarsely in the processor and then return them to the measuring cup.
2.  Put the bananas in the processor and process until they are well pureed.
3.  Add the sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, and chopped cranberries to the processor bowl. Blend just until smooth.
4.  Add the flour, soda, and spices. Pulse lightly until just mixed.
5.  Add the cranberries and walnuts and pulse just once or twice, until the berries are blended evenily into the mix.
6.  Pour the batter into well-oiled pans--four individual loaves or one 4 1/2 X 8 1/2 inch loaf.
7.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes for the small loaves, an hour or so for the large loaf. The loaves are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8.  Allow the loaves to cool in the pans about 5 minutes. Then turn out on to a rack and cool completely before wrapping.

Mixing bowl method

1.  Cream the sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until light.
2.  Mash the bananas (just mash them right in the measuring cup) and add to the creamed mixture. Stir until well mixed.
3.  Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the banana mixture. Stir well.
4.  Cut the cranberries in slices (the "prettier" approach) or chop coarsely. Stir into the batter along with the chopped nuts.
5.  When the batter is well mixed, pour into the pans, proceeding as with the processor method from step 6 forward.

Food Photography, Cranberry Bread and Some Notes on Pan Sizes

One of the things I have not done as often as I'd like is to add photos to my blog entries. Sometimes I just haven't remembered to take pictures of the dishes before they are eaten, but there is also the problem of taking shots that really show the food in its best light.

An interesting blog reference in the NY Times today might be of help to anybody facing the same challenge of making foods look attractive in photos as they do in real life. This particular link deals with soups, but the site has many other references that could be very helpful over time.

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/16/food-photography-how-to-shoot-soup/

An example of the many ways my photos and blog don't line up came last December. I actually remembered to take a series of photos of cranberry applesauce bread I wanted to post, but, by the time the bread came out of the oven, the camera battery needed recharging. Then, when I had a charged camera, the bread had been given away or consumed, so there was no final product. Thinking I'd make another batch and capture the results, I delayed posting. Then the holidays intervened and, until now, not even the recipe ended up here. Today's post is an attempt to make up for that.

I know it is not the season for cranberries yet, but I'm going to include the recipe anyway, to go with the photos. My guess is that it will work just as well with raspberries, so I may be trying that with the next picking of berries. (Last night, I took some young friends with me to the front of the patch and we came home with over a quart of berries just for snacking.)

Cranberry Applesauce Bread

2 c fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
1 T sugar (for cranberries)
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c oil
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 c applesauce
1 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (If you are using glass loaf pans, heat to only 325 degrees.)
1. Toss the cranberries with a tablespoon of sugar and set aside.
2. Cream the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla well.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients. Add this mixture and the applesauce alternately to the creamed mixture and beat well.
4. Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.
5. Oil or spray with non-stick coating a large loaf pan or a medium pan and three "miniature" loaf pans. (See the math below) Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
6. Bake large loaf for 50 minutes, smaller pans from 20 to 35 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Turn the baked loaves on to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.

The Mathematics of Pan Sizes

Loaf pans are probably the least uniform of all baking pans. "Large" or standard loaf pans can range from 7 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches all the way to 9 inches by 5 inches. "Medium" pans have an even larger range, and the "miniature' pans as shown in the photo above may be as small as 2 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches. In general, a recipe like this, which makes at least 4 cups of batter, will fill a "large" loaf pan to about 2/3 full, resulting in a very high loaf. You could use a "large" pan and save out enough batter for a couple of miniatures (great gifts!) and still have a nice loaf.

So how do you decide what pans to use? Sometimes you may need to do a little trial and error with your own pans. If a recipe fills your pan between half and two thirds full, you will be fine. If it approaches three quarters full, you should probably put some of the batter in some smaller pans--or even muffin pans; muffin batters and quick bread batters are often identical.

The key thing to remember is that the baking temperature will remain the same (reducing the oven heat about 25 degrees for glass pans that tend to brown more quickly) but the baking time will change.

Coffeecakes, Blueberry and otherwise

Coming to the end of July, we are still in a time when some kind of berry can usually be found at a bargain price in the supermarkets, at the farmers' market or, if you are really lucky, in your own backyard or nearby country roads. Strawberry season may be coming to a close, but there are still reasonably priced blueberries, raspberries, mulberries, and blackberries most weeks.

Today's recipe is infinitely adaptable to any kind of berry--as well as many other fruits--and can be used to stretch a precious cup or so of berries across a lot of servings. It is a good one to keep around in the winter months too, as frozen berries are easily substituted for fresh.

This is a great recipe for a weekend breakfast, with just some juice and coffee, or as a dessert after a light salad meal. It's also an always welcome addition to a potluck brunch. It's a very basic cake that can be found in multiple variations in most comprehensive cookbooks, so it is also a good one for kids who are learning to cook to prepare as a special treat for the family.

Is the house too hot to think about turning on the oven? I've included some instructions for the microwave too. This variation probably isn't as attractive, but it still can bring some variety to summer meals.

Berry Coffeecake

1/2 c oil
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 c water
1/4 c nonfat dry milk (OR use milk instead of water and omit dry milk)
2 c flour--may substitute up to 1 cup whole wheat for white flour
1 to 2 c blueberries

Crumb topping
1/2 c sugar--may use white, brown, or a mixture of both
1/4 c butter
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 c white flour, whole wheat flour, oatmeal, or a mixture of these
1/4 c chopped nuts (optional)

Beat oil, sugar and egg together and stir in the dry milk powder. Sift the four and baking powder together and add alternately with the water, stirring just until smooth. Fold in the berries and pour into a well-oiled 7 X 11 1/2 inch pan.

Cut all the crumb topping ingredients into the butter and spread evenly over the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

If frozen berries are used, allow to thaw only about 5 minutes (should still be quite firm) and then add 5 to 10 minutes to overall baking time.

Variations:

Spread half the batter in the pan, top with most of the crumb mixture, and then cover with remaining batter. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over top.

Use crushed cereals whole grain cereals like wheat flakes as a substitute for part of the flour in the crumb mixture.

Other fruits that can be used: any berries, including sliced strawberries, sliced or chopped cranberries, raspberries, mulberries, or blackberries. Finely chopped peaches, apples, nectarines, pears, or plums may also be used instead of the berries.

Instead of whole fruit, decrease water to 1/4 cup and stir in 1 1/2 cups applesauce in its place. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice to the batter.

Microwave version:

(Best if made in a deep 9 inch round baking dish, though the rectangular pan can be used.)

Prepare coffeecake batter and crumbs as in main recipe, but do not fold fruit into the batter. Spread about one third of the crumb mixture in the bottom of the pan, then layer the fruit over the crumbs. Cover with half the batter, then add a layer of all but 1/3 cup or so of the remaining crumbs. Finish with the rest of the batter and then sprinkle with the remaining crumbs. Microwave for 7 to 9 minutes at power level 7 (medium to medium high), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Do not overbake--the cake will not be as brown as in the oven. The color will be much improved if you use brown sugar in both the cake and the crumb topping.