Sweet Cherry Quick Bread

 Every couple of years sweet cherries are in abundance, and their prices go way low.  This summer their prices have been below $1 per pound.  And we have enjoyed eating them quite frequently.  I have also put several bags in the freezer for us to have during the winter months.  But sometimes, you need something new and different.  I am not a big fan of the usual breakfast items.  I love a slice of quick bread anytime of day for a fast snack.  So, with cherries in season and at a great price, I decided to make a sweet cherry quick bread.  It's very easy, and all the ingredients were already in the pantry.  Let me show you how I did it.

You will need:
1 cup of cherries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of softened butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teas of vanilla extract
2 teas. of almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 teas salt
1 teas baking powder
1 teas baking soda
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a bread loaf pan, (5 X 9), with baking spray.

Rinse, pit, and chop your cherries.  You will need 1 cup of chopped cherries.

If you don't have fresh cherries, you could always substitute frozen cherries that have been thawed.  But fresh will taste better.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.

Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of almond extract, (you will use the other teaspoon for the glaze, later).  Continue mixing until smooth and everything is incorporated well.

In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Whisk together well to combine and break up any clumps.

Carefully add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.

Stir in the yogurt, until completely incorporated.

Fold in the cherries.

Spoon the batter into the greased loaf pan.  Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes, (until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).

 Allow the bread to cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan.

Allow to cool completely.

 In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon of almond extract, and milk.

Once the bread has cooled completely, pour the glaze over the bread.  Your bread is now ready to slice and serve.

I am going to put a few slivered almonds on top, so people will know there is an almond flavor in this bread.

Notice how nicely the bread has suspended the cherries throughout.  And notice how the layers are light and fluffy.

WOW - this bread is so moist, and you get that very slight tang from the yogurt, the sweetness from the cherries, and it's all tied together with the almond flavor.  This is wonderful.  And it keeps so well, without being wrapped.  Breakfast is going to be so good this week.

Get some sweet cherries, before they are all gone, and make a loaf for your family.

Enjoy !

Date Nut Bread

Dates are in season, and the prices have dropped for a short time.  See all the different varieties available on the shelves reminded me of all the date inspired treats, during our visit to the Middle East last year.  One of my favorite was the Date Breads.  With some trial and error, I finally have a bread that our family enjoys.  Let me show you how easy it is to make.

 You will need:
8 ounces of dried pitted dates
1 large orange
1/2 teas. baking soda
1/8 teas. salt
1 cup boiling water
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teas. baking powder
1/4 teas salt
1/2 teas ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teas. vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts
1 teas sugar

First, coarsely chop the dates.  Make sure to remove all the seeds.  You should have about 1 1/2 cups of firmly packed chopped dates.

Grate the orange peel, (you will need 2 tablespoons).  And juice the orange, (you will need 1/4 cup of juice).

Add enough boiling water to the juice to make 1 cup.

In a small bowl, add the boiling orange juice/water, baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.  Add the chopped dates.  Stir well, then set aside and allow to cool.

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  While the orange juice/water is cooling, spread the pecans, (or whatever type of nut you prefer to use), on a baking sheet.  Roast the nuts for about 5 minutes, until they start to brown, and you just start to smell the nuts.

Notice how the nuts have darkened in color.  Be sure to watch the nuts, they will go from roasted to burnt in just seconds.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a food processor, add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, and orange peel.  Process just enough to combine.

Add the cold butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

This is what the flour mixture will look like.  Add the flour mixture to a large bowl.

Coarsely chop the nuts, and stir into the flour mixture.

 In a small bowl, add the egg and vanilla extract.  Whisk the egg and vanilla together.

Add to the flour mixture. 

 Add in the dates and ALL of the orange juice/water.

 Stir just until the mixture is combined.

Spray a bread loaf pan.  Add a piece of parchment paper to the bottom of the pan and spray the top of the parchment paper, (this will ensure the bread removes easily from the pan).

Spoon the bread dough into the bread loaf pan.

 Spread out and level the bread dough.

Lightly sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar over the top of the bread dough.

Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven for 60 to 65 minutes, (until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the bread is golden brown).

Allow the bread to cool on a baking rack for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pan, and gently peel off the parchment paper.  Turn the bread upright and allow to cool completely.

Your bread is now ready to eat.

However, if you can resist the temptation and let your bread sit for 1 day, the flavors develop even more, and it's much more tasty.

Notice how nicely the dates and the nuts are suspended in the dough, and the bread has a nice crumb.

You can taste the slight orange flavor, the warm roasted nut flavor, and the warmth of the cinnamon against the dates, (which also have a delicious orange undertone).  It's so good!

And another way to serve the bread it with a small amount of honey on the slices - Oh my goodness, so good.

So go get some dates, while they are still in season and reasonable priced and try a loaf of date nut bread.

Enjoy !

Corn Fritters

The corn is starting to go on sale in our part of the country, (you can find it 5 or 6 ears for $1).  And who doesn't love fresh corn on the cob?  But sometimes you might cook too much, or maybe you just have a couple of ears leftover.  That's the time to make corn fritters.  This simple age old recipe makes 8 good sized fritters, with very few pantry ingredients.  Let me show you how.

You will need:
2 cups of corn off the cob, (about 2 ears)
3/4 cup flour
2 Tabs. cornmeal
1 Tabs. sugar
1 1/2 teas. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teas. cayenne pepper
1 egg
oil for frying
salt and pepper

Remove the corn from the cob.
2 ears will give you approximately 2 cups of corn.

Note:  you can also substitute frozen corn that has been thawed, or even canned corn that has been drained of all the liquid.   Also, your corn doesn't need to be cooked before you remove it from the cob.  You can use it raw or cooked on the cob.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and cayenne pepper.

Add the egg to the milk, and stir well to break up the egg and mix it into the milk.

Add the milk to the flour mixture, and fold in.

Add the corn, and gently fold in.

In a medium pan, heat 2 or 3 inches of oil.

Add the fritter batter, approximately 2 heaping tablespoons per fritter.  The batter will puff up and form a nice fritter.

Let fry about 2 or 3 minutes per side, until golden brown, flip over and fry an additional 2 or 3 minutes.

Remove from the oil, and transfer to paper towel to drain while you cook the remaining fritters.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.  And your corn fritters are ready to serve.

These are a great side dish.  Down south this is a common dinner dish, (families could feed large groups with very little corn).

 When you break it open, you see the corn and the nice fluffy interior.  It's crunchy on the outside, yet warm, soft, and has nice layers inside.  It's just begging for you to bite into it.

If you want to really "gild the lilly", just add a little honey to the fritter.  O-M-G !!  So good.  Even plain they are delicious.  So, got a couple ears of corn on hand?  Give this fritter recipe a try.

Enjoy !