GRAPE-NUTS BREAD

 I'm sure I have seen a recipe for Grape-Nuts Bread in some of my cookbooks, but for whatever reason chose not to try it. Well, I'm not sure if it's because Wayne loves Grape-Nuts cereal or what but when he saw a posting from our friend Karen in Ventura talking about making a loaf and she fell asleep or something, Wayne was on a mission for me to find a recipe and make it for him.

I searched online and found three different recipes and then decided to look in the cookbook from the Heartstone Inn in Eureka Springs, AR that was nearby and there it was, a recipe. It was almost the same as one of the recipes I found online so I decided to just go with it. One of the recipes that claimed to be the original one on the box of cereal years ago had golden raisins, but it was the only one I found that called for raisins.

Wayne asked me if I could make it with whole wheat flour. I told him I would but like so many breads that use whole wheat flour, I had to use half all-purpose flour because I didn't have 4 cups of the whole wheat flour. I told him it was whole grains. One of the recipes online called for only 1 cup of sugar - half of the sugar the rest of the recipes called for. It is a sweet bread, so I may try using less sugar the next time I make it. And trust me there will be a next time. Wayne loves the bread (and I do also).

As I ate a slice smeared with peanut butter and sliced banana pieces for lunch, I let my mind run wild and pictured different sandwiches served at a luncheon such as pimento cheese, cucumber sandwiches, etc. using slices of this bread.   

GRAPE-NUTS BREAD

2       cups sour milk (I used buttermilk)

1       cup Grape-Nuts cereal

4       cups all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat flour)

1       teaspoon baking soda

2       teaspoons baking powder

2       cups sugar

2       eggs, beaten

Combine milk and Grape-Nuts in a bowl and let stand while you prepare the loaf pans and the rest of the ingredients.(I forgot to take a picture.😒 I measured the buttermilk in a four-cup measuring cup and add cereal to it. Stirred to make sure buttermilk was covering all the cereal.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9 x 5 - inch loaf pans. Set aside. 

Combine flour(s), soda, baking powder, and sugar with a whisk.

Make a well in the center.

Add milk mixture to the flour mixture and

stir with a wooden spoon just to mix.

Add beaten eggs and

stir til well incorporated.

Divide the batter between the two loaf pans and bake for 1 hour.

Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack. Loosen if needed with a knife around the edges.

Remove from pans and finish cooling on wire rack. (We ate a slice or two while it was still warm. I covered with foil and put one in a gallon ziplock freezer bag to enjoy later.)

One more look...

CRANBERRY ORANGE CAKE

 I missed going in to Hillcrest Thrift Shop to clean when Jay and Justin were here working on our home improvement projects because Wayne was playing golf that Monday. I did get to go the next week and took this special Cranberry Orange Cake for the volunteers. I cleaned for two hours and there were about 6 or 7 slices still left. I took them off and placed them on a paper plate so some people could enjoy a slice with their lunch. Most people could easily name what they thought it was since the taste of the cranberries and orange juice was so prevalent. 

As usual I made the cake on the day before, Sunday, so Wayne and I enjoyed a piece while the cake was still slightly warm. It was delicious, but I ate a crumb or two the next day and it was really good then also. 

Warning: When I tried to invert the cake over my cake plate, the cake wouldn't release. I waited and beat on it, turned it back right side up and ran the knife around the edges again, and repeated the process. Finally when it released a section was stuck to the pan. I was able to work it out as one piece and filled in the hole. If you knew to look for it, you could see it when you looked at the cake. I wrote the directions the way I would do it the next time. Grease and flour the pan first before sprinkling the sugar and cranberries in. All the recipe said was to spray the pan with cooking spray and then sprinkle sugar and cranberries in.

It is such a pretty cake!

CRANBERRY ORANGE CAKE

1-1/2   cups flour

2         teaspoons baking powder

1/4      teaspoon salt

1         cup sour cream (I use light sour cream)

1         cup sugar

3         large eggs

zest of one orange - about 1 tablespoon (I used dried orange peel)

juice of an orange (I used 1/4 cup orange juice)

1/2      cup butter, room temperature

2         tablespoons sugar

1-1/2   cups fresh cranberries, cut in half

For the icing:

1          cup powdered sugar

2-3       tablespoons water, milk, or orange juice (I used orange juice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the cranberries on the bottom of the pan. Set aside. (Hope your read my warning above.) 

Cream together the butter and sugar until

sugar turns a lemon color, about 4 - 5 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time and

mix in until incorporated.

Add the orange juice and zest.

Then add the sour cream.

When incorporated, add the flour, salt, and baking powder that you have blended together.

When this is all mixed together,

stir in the remaining 1-1/4 cups cranberries.

Top the sugar/cranberries in the pan with the cake batter. Smooth out.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Test cake with a toothpick or press on center around the cake. Let cake set for 5 minutes after you take it out of the oven. Loosen around edges with a knife. Turn over cake onto cake plate or wire rack to cool.

Mix up glaze/topping ingredients and

spread on top and sides of cake. 

Cover cake to serve later.

 

MAPLE-BRAN MUFFINS

 I made these muffins Sunday afternoon while I was watching the Kansas City Chiefs played in the snow in Denver with the Denver Broncos. It was good to watch them win by a couple of touchdowns. I wouldn't have gotten the muffins made if it had been a close game.

When Wayne got up yesterday morning he said we had some snow on the ground. I had been listening to cars go up and down the road behind us so I knew it couldn't be too bad outside. That meant I could take the muffins to Hillcrest Thrift Shop for the volunteers and didn't have to pass the muffins out to neighbors. (I'm sure the neighbors would have liked them. They are the best bran muffins I have ever eaten.)

I used the last of the maple syrup we had gotten from my aunt in Vermont when we visited a couple of years ago from her uncle who makes and sells it from his own maple trees.  The only change I made to the original recipe that came from a Good Housekeeping April 1989 magazine was I used light sour cream. 

They were a big hit at the thrift shop. There was only one left after my two hours of cleaning.

MAPLE-BRAN MUFFINS

3/4     cup maple syrup

2        eggs

2-1/2  cups bran flakes, crushed

1        8 - ounce container sour cream (1 cup) (I used light sour cream) 

1        cup flour

1/2     cup walnuts, chopped

1        teaspoon baking soda

About 30 minutes before serving or early in day:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease of spray twelve-cup muffin pan. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the maple syrup and eggs until blended.

Beat in crushed bran flakes; let stand 5 minutes.

Beat in sour cream until well mixed.

With spoon, stir in flour, walnuts, and baking soda just until flour is moistened

(batter will be lumpy)

Spoon batter into muffin-pan cups. (I used my ice cream scoop so they would all be uniform in size.)

Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (I press lightly on top of a muffin.) Immediately remove muffins from pan, reheat if desired. (I ran a knife around the inside edges of the cups to loosen the muffins.) 

I managed to get 14 muffins instead of 12 which meant I had a few extras to enjoy at home.

This was my view from our front window. The poor maple trees in our front yard still have many green leaves on them. This is the third straight October that we have had snow in October.

That's a dogwood in the lower right corner.

PUMPKIN AND CHIP COOKIES (AMISH)

 When Jay and Justin, were here working on our house, my canasta group invited themselves to our house (yard) for our social distancing gathering. Wayne was going to be playing golf so I was going to miss our gathering to stay home with the guys. When I let the group know I would miss meeting in the park and really hated it, Friend Ellen suggested we meet in our driveway as long as we wouldn't be in the way of the workers. We didn't have to meet in the driveway, but positioned ourselves in the front yard in some shade. It turned out to be a beautiful day with a nice breeze and some pretty fall colors to enjoy. 

Our section of our neighborhood has the prettiest fall colors in the area, usually. This year the trees are as beautiful as ever, they just aren't turning at the same time. It has been a dry fall and I think that makes a difference. 

That morning I got up early and made these Pumpkin and Chip Cookies. The recipe said it made 5 dozen cookies, but I knew Jay and Justin would enjoy some and then I could give some to each of the ladies. As it turned out I made almost 6-1/2 dozen, but everyone of them was enjoyed. I found Sarah Mae Yoder's recipe in the Jamesport Kuntry Favorites cookbook. I considered using something besides the chocolate chips in them because I know Friend Janice isn't crazy about chocolate chips in cookies. I know. How could this be? Well, I couldn't come up with anything, so I decided I would just make a few and make sure I didn't get any chips in them. That worked out great and I am so glad I didn't omit them. The combination of the pumpkin and the dark rich chocolate chips was awesome!

PUMPKIN AND CHIP COOKIES

1       cup pumpkin

1       cup sugar

1/2    cup oil

1       egg

2       cups flour

2       teaspoon baking powder

1       teaspoon cinnamon

1/2    teaspoon salt

1       teaspoon soda in 1 teaspoon milk

1       cup chocolate chips (I used 60% cacao chips)

1/2    cup nuts, chopped (optional) (I did not omit)

1       teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg with a wooden spoon.

Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together.

Add to pumpkin mixture along with

the soda mixture.

Stir in chips, nuts, and vanilla.

Drop by spoonfuls. (I use a cookie scoop leveled off on top.)

Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack. Allow cookie sheet to cool before filling it again with dough. I prepare the sheet a minute or two before pan in oven will be done. 

Makes 5 to 6 dozen cookies.

My friends social distancing gathering...

Some of the trees that were pretty then. Our two maple trees were still green.

It is always interesting to see how some of the trees turn as in the last two pictures.