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Get the jump on SantaIt's not too early to begin your holiday baking both for yourself and to give as gifts. There are some breads that keep so well you won't even have to freeze them and then, again, there are the good sweet breads that keep forever, or six months (whichever comes first) in the freezer. The problem with the breads not in the freezer is that they tend to disappear long before gift-wrapping time. They're very handy for your own holiday entertaining. For gifts it is fun to divide the sweetbread batters and bake in mini-loaf pans. You can bake several different recipes and give your friends two or three small loaves, each one unlike the other(s). Loaves will bake more evenly if you lower the oven rack to just below center of the oven before preheating the oven. Orange Apricot Sweet Bread Great for giving and for serving, so tender and sweet it's just shy of being a cake. This is an easy recipe to double. 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter or spray bread loaf pan(s) and dust with flour, shaking out any excess flour. Beat butter, sugar and cardamom until fluffy. Add orange peel, egg, egg yolk and sour cream. Beat to mix well. Stir together soda, baking powder, flour and diced apricots. Add to butter mixture and stir until blended. Scrape batter into pan(s) and spread level. If using smaller molds, fill no more than 1/3 full. Sprinkle batter evenly with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Bake until bread springs back when lightly pressed in the center and just begins to pull from sides, 35 to 40 minutes for the whole loaf, less for small loaves. Let cool on rack. Makes 1 large or 3 small loaves. Rum & Spice Squash Bread A way of using spaghetti squash but acorn squash can be substituted. If you have no dark rum, substitute milk and add 1 teaspoon rum flavoring and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. 3 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 1 loaf pan or 3 mini-loaf pans. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk eggs; mix in the squash. Stir in sugar and then the oil. Stir in milk and rum. Add the dry ingredients and stir gently until not quite combined, batter will be lumpy. Add walnuts and raisins and stir just until combined. Scrape mixture into prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours for a single loaf, less for small pans. Place on rack 10 minutes and then turn out of pan to cool on rack. Makes 1 large or 3 small loaves. Carrot Bread Pecans and raisins turn a lowly Cinderella vegetable, the carrot, into a glamorous gift. This is even better after freezing. Better eating on the second day. 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and lightly flour 2 loaf pans or 5 mini-pans. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together into a bowl. In another bowl beat together sugar, oil, and eggs; combine with the dry ingredients. Carefully stir in carrots, nuts, raisins and vanilla. Bake 65 to 70 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and bread springs back when touched in the center. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a rack before removing from pan(s). Cool thoroughly before wrapping in foil. Store overnight before slicing. Date Walnut Bread Candied ginger, or candied orange. Lemon or grapefruit peel are interesting additions. 1 cup dates, cut fine
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and lightly flour 1 large or 2 mini bread pans. Cover dates with water in which the baking soda has been dissolved. Let stand until cooled. Meanwhile, cream sugar and butter together and then beat in egg and vanilla. Combine with date mixture. Stir in nuts. Makes 1 loaf or 2 mini-loaves. Bake 1 hour (less for smaller loaves) or until a toothpick comes out clean and bread springs back in center when touched. You can loaf around this time of year! PAST RECIPES
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