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Fruit and Veggie Quick Breads

© Lisa Casey Perry

It seems to me that after a month of eating chocolate hearts and cheesecakes and all the Valentine goodies we could get our hands on, it is time to get back to the wholesome stuff; the staff of life, as they say. To bridge the gap between sweets and bread, how about a few recipes that combine both. These breads are tasty alternatives for breakfast, brunch, or snack time.

Banana Bread

I did a little babysitting at my daughter's house last week. Friday, I surprised her with a Banana Bread. Not only was the bread a treat, but when she came in the door at the end of her long workday, the whole house smelled sweet and homey.

Ingredients:

½ cup margarine

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

¼ tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

¼ cup buttermilk

2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 bananas)

2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

Mix butter, sugar and eggs together until light and creamy. Combine baking soda and buttermilk together, and then add mashed bananas. Stir in baking powder, flour and vanilla. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350° for about 45 minutes.

Peach-Nut Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp soda

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup shortening

2 eggs

¼ cup buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt

1 cup mashed peaches (may use canned peaches)

½ cup chopped nuts

Sift together flour, baking powder and soda. Set aside. Cream sugar and shortening together until light. In another bowl, add eggs, buttermilk and peaches together and blend well. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients, mixing lightly just until blended. Do not over beat. Fold in chopped nuts. Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes.

Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups raisins

½ cup flour

1 cup margarine

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups milk

4 cups flour

1 ½ tsp nutmeg

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

Coat raisins in first measure of the flour and set aside. Cream margarine and sugar together until fluffy then add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Then add milk to margarine-egg mixture. Sift together dry ingredients and add to wet mixture a portion at a time, blending well. Fold in raisins. Bake in 2 well-greased loaf pans at 325° for 1 ½ hours or until loaves test done with a toothpick.

Pumpkin Bread

This bread is baked in coffee cans. I have accumulated quite a few recipes for breads or cakes that are baked in cans or jars. They certainly make an interesting presentation and slice up pretty as well.

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups flour

2 cups brown sugar

The copyright of the article Fruit and Veggie Quick Breads in Southern Cooking is owned by Lisa Casey Perry. Permission to republish Fruit and Veggie Quick Breads in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.