Since I just spent the weekend at Rosie's house in Cleveland, I wanted to post this recipe creation she came up with. She had some ripe bananas that she wanted to use up and also wanted to make something with Bailey's. So why not combine both and see how it goes? That's what we did with this banana bread! And surprisingly, it worked quite well. Oh and it's fairly healthy, too. A perfect thing to eat with Irish coffee!
Bailey's Banana Bread
(1 loaf)
2 eggs
2/3 cup white sugar
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup nonfat milk
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish cream
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray a bread pan with non-stick cooking spray, and lightly dust with flour.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in bananas, applesauce, milk, and Bailey's.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture, mixing just until blended. Fold in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Bake in preheated pan until golden and a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Turn bread out onto a wire rack and let cool.
I don't known why, but there's something about making bread from scratch that I find very satisfying. Sure, it takes a lot of effort, but it is SO worth it. This is one of those recipes. I had been wanting to experiment with bagels and try making them myself, which sometimes can be disastrous. However, this recipe was actually easier than I thought (thanks to the bread machine) and I ended up with 8 wonderful homemade bagels that made me never want to buy bagels again. The nice thing about this recipe, like most of the ones I post, is that you can sub in different fruit/nut combinations or leave them out all together. It's hard to believe that boiling bread dough can create something so lovely.
Cranberry Nut Bagels
(makes 8)
1 1/8 cups water (70 to 80 degrees F)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
TOPPING:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In bread machine pan, place the first seven ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). Just before the final kneading (your machine may audibly signal this), add the cranberries and pecans.
When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide into eight balls. Push thumb through the center of each ball to form a 1-in. hole. Place on a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
In a large saucepan, bring 2-qt. water to a boil. Drop bagels, one at a time, into boiling water. Cook for 45 seconds; turn and cook 45 seconds longer. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels.
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over bagels. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
I know it's quite a few days from St. Patrick's Day, but this bread is so good, I figured you may want the recipe in advance. This is a must-make. In college, when I went out with friends to a local brewery, I sometimes would just order soda bread because it was so wonderful! Now I can make my own! This bread is great with soup and salad, but could also be a breakfast bread because it is mildly sweet. I've made this bread several times and always get wonderful results. The buttermilk is a key and I recommend brushing the loaf with a bit of melted butter as it bakes so it gets a nice and crispy crust. You can throw in raisins or currants if you have them, but this bread is good plain, too. I can easily say this is my favorite bread ever.
Irish Soda Bread
(makes 1 HUGE loaf--you can make a smaller one if you just cut this in half)
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted (you can use less, since this will just be brushed on the bread)
1/4 cup buttermilk (you can also use less of this, too)
optional: 1/2 cup raisins or currants
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.