Breads, Muffins and Scones

We’ve still got time to capitalize on the citrus season before it’s over, and what better way to do it than to make this moist and flavorful Orange Bread that is brimming with all that is orange – juice, zest, extract and Grand Marnier?  These beauties get topped with a glorious glaze, and then get to sit all night while they soak all that lusciousness in.  This is a recipe from Tricia, who has been tinkering with it for years to get it just right.  You can always tell when a recipe is a good one – it should be full of spills and spatters and basically look like it’s been run over by a car several times.  This would be how Tricia’s working copy looks. (If you’re unfamiliar with Grand Marnier, it’s an orange-flavored liqueur, made from a blend of Cognac brandy, distilled essence of bitter orange, and sugar – and delicious by the way).

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Tomorrow being St. Patrick’s Day and all, I thought another traditional recipe might be the ever popular scone.  But wait a second, let’s not forget our gluten-free friends and family members (or ourselves) on this festive day.  You can whip up a bunch of these beauties, and serve them hot out of the oven, fragrant with herbs and oozing with melting cheese.  No need to be stingy with the butter – it is a day of celebration after all.  Top it off with a cold, refreshing pint of Guinness if that suits you.  Your non-gluten friends won’t be able to tell the difference – they’re that good and that’s a promise.

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I know I say this all the time, but this recipe is the ultimate.  If you are ever, ever, ever, in a bad, cranky, or otherwise fussy mood, I highly recommend dropping everything and making these guys.   In this recipe, we take the traditional sweeter scone and make it savory by eliminating the sugar and adding some herbs. Last but not least, we fold in big chunks of sharp cheddar cheese. Hot out of the oven they will make your eyes roll back in your head and that’s a promise.

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It’s going to be a stormy and windy weekend.  All we can do is hunker down and wait it out – but let’s ease our worries by mixing up a batch of the very best Pumpkin Bread you ever ate, complete with a glaze packed with cinnamon and, of course, bourbon.  We must gather ourselves against the elements, and this is just the perfect thing to do it.  The recipe comes to us from my good friend and blogging partner, Tricia.  She is an expert baker, and this recipe proves it without a doubt.  It can come together in about 15 minutes once you get your ingredients assembled, so put on some music (while you still have power), pour yourself a glass of your favorite stormy weather beverage, and let’s dive on in!

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I have lived in Oregon all my life, and actually love the rain – within reason.  But it is nearly February, it’s still raining, and Neeners is getting itchy to get out in the garden and plant which makes her very crabby.  For the sake of both our sanities I whipped up a batch of her favorite muffins.  It kept her quiet for all of 20 minutes, but I will consider that a small victory.   This recipe was inspired by the Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook, but as usual I have changed it all around.  Here is my version.

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I was lucky enough to have a grandmother who baked constantly, and being a somewhat overweight (OK….huge) child, I always enjoyed trips to her house to see what was coming out of the oven.  homemade bread and rolls, shortcakes with garden berries, rhubarb cake, cornstarch pudding (sounds gross-tasted great, but like I said I was twice the size of a normal child my age so ate just about everything not tied down in those days) and the smell of cinnamon when she would bake an old fashioned applesauce spice cake.  I don’t know where her recipes went, or if she even used them, but here is my attempt to replicate that old spice cake into muffins.

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In our household, Dick has  a tradition of a mid-morning coffee break.  Coffee is French Pressed, rich, and strong enough to stand a fork up in it.  This brew is usuallly accompanied by a muffin or sweet bread of some sort to round out the experience, and to serve as a reward for a mornings’ work well done.  These Carrot-Coconut Muffins are one of his all time favorites; rich and moist with grated carrot and coconut in the batter, then topped with a sprinkling of brown sugar and more coconut that toasts during baking.  Oh. Yeah.  Let’s make some!

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