True confession time. I could eat carrot cake with cream cheese frosting every day of my life if weight and remaining healthy were not a concern. But since they are, I probably only bake a carrot cake once a year. But when I do – watch out baby. Because carrot cake is good 3 times a day – for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I really can’t stop myself. I like carrot cake that much!

So when I was preparing food for our last trailer trip, I thought a healthy (emphasis on healthy) quick bread would be nice to have along. Quick breads (think banana bread) are perfect with breakfast, for an elevenses snack with a cup of coffee, or even for dessert. So then, what quick bread to fix? And for whatever reason, I thought about how much I love carrot cake. Which then naturally led me to – why not a carrot bread?

Now I had never thought about a carrot bread before, much less tasted one (that I can remember), but the idea of a carrot quick bread was like a revelation. Maybe all those lovely carrot cake ingredients could be magically transformed into something I could enjoy more often than once a year! Then, I couldn’t imagine that someone out there wasn’t already several steps ahead of me in developing a recipe. So I went on line. And I found a recipe on the An Oregon Cottage web site that was almost what I was looking for. So I started with Jami’s recipe and added my own special touches. And I came up with the recipe I am sharing with you today. (Is that applause I hear coming from your computer?)

So to make a long story short, we cut into this bread for breakfast one morning while on our trip, and there was much rejoicing in the Carr trailer with our first bite.

Now understand, this carrot bread is never going to take the place of carrot cake with its moist and delicious texture and cream cheese frosting to die for. Never in a million years. However, not wanting either of us to die any time in the near future mandates a change in our way of thinking about food. And I’m thinking this bread is a pretty darn good way to enjoy the wonderful flavor of carrot cake without having the little devil that lives on my left shoulder applauding my lack of self-control, while the little angel who sits on my other shoulder weeps uncontrollably into a soggy Kleenex!

So if you love carrot cake, and happen to be looking for a quick bread with lots of carrot cake flavor, that’s easy to prepare, and contains considerably less carbohydrates than “the real thing”, this recipe is for you. And yes, you can add a bit of frosting or glaze to the top of this delicious bread. But you’re not going to get a recipe from me. I have enough to deal with from my own little devil. I don’t need yours hounding me too! (Enjoy the recipe and love and peace to all.)

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour*

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. allspice

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ c. sour cream

½ c. real maple syrup

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted  

1 lg. egg

2½ c. shredded carrots

¼ c. golden raisins

¼ c. shredded coconut

½ c. chopped walnuts or pecans  

cooking spray

Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg together in a large bowl.

In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, maple syrup, melted and cooled butter, and egg. Pour the sour cream mixture over the dry ingredients and mix just until just combined. Fold in the carrots along with the golden raisins, coconut, and walnuts. (The dough will be very thick.)

Spread the dough evenly into a large loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans that have been coated with cooking spray. Level off the tops with an offset spatula.    

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50 to 65 minutes (depending on the size of your pan or pans) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a metal rack to cool completely.

Store in refrigerator or freezer.  

*or you can use all whole wheat flour

I love bread. Always have, always will. And for me the best part of a lot of restaurant meals is the warm bread brought out just after the server has taken our order. Yum. And so I like to serve some type of bread when I have company. Of course, some meals don’t warrant bread or rolls, but those that do, and I have the time needed to bake, I give it a go. And with this recipe that takes much less time than most roll recipes, it’s a snap for me to have rolls on the table in the blink of an eye. (Well, it takes longer than that, but not much!)

And these babies are delicious. And with a stand mixer, the ease of preparation makes me feel almost guilty for taking any credit at all. I mean really. Dump a few ingredients in the mixer bowl, set the thing on go, and add enough flour until the bowl is practically clean. How hard is that?

Of course it did take some talent to form the dough into 18 even hunks. But I can almost do that in my sleep because of lots of years of practice. But then again, you only get good at doing something by performing the act over and over. It’s just like that decades old question. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Answer – practice, practice, practice! How do you make a good dinner roll? Use this recipe and (you guessed it) practice, practice, practice. Enjoy.  

4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, or more if needed

2 pkgs. or 2 T. rapid rise or instant yeast

¼ c. granulated sugar

1 lg. egg, room temperature

1 tsp. kosher salt  

1½ c. whole milk

6 T. unsalted butter, melted, divided

fleur de sel or kosher salt, for topping

Combine 3½ cups of the flour, yeast, sugar, egg, and the 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Heat milk until warm. (Remember, it can’t be too warm or the heat will kill the yeast.)

Add the warm milk and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter to the flour mixture. Knead 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally if needed. Add enough additional flour until the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the bowl while kneading. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Punch down the dough.

Divide the dough into 18 torpedo shaped pieces. (Don’t worry if the sizes are not perfectly equal. But do make them as consistent as possible.) Place in a lightly buttered 9×13-inch pan. (I use a glass Pyrex pan.) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.  

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. (An instant read thermometer should register between 185 to 190 degrees when they are done.) Remove from oven and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter while the rolls are still warm. Lightly sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve warm or at room temperature with lots of room temperature butter.

As I sit at my desk writing this preface, I see grey skies, grey water, and leaves on deciduous trees in shades anywhere from rusty red to a lovely golden yellow. The leaves are beautiful, the grey – not so much! All of which however serve to remind me that it is fall, with winter just around the corner. But the one redeeming feature that makes enduring these upcoming soggy and dark months semi passable for me, is that I get to prepare soups and stews. Because I truly love to both cook and eat these hot and savory dishes. Especially when accompanied by a lovely piece or two of homemade bread. So knowing that everyone seems to love comfort food especially during the dreary months, I decided to share with you one of my favorite bread recipes. This recipe is both easy to prepare and absolutely delicious.

I have been making this bread since my children were very young. In fact, when I made this bread, or any kind of bread for that matter for an extended family dinner gathering, my son Sven would fill up on the bread, generously spread with soft butter I might add, and totally ignore the rest of the dishes I was serving. (Except dessert, of course!) But those were wonderful times, and an occasional dinner of just bread didn’t seem to hurt my son or anyone else in the least.

This recipe is straight out of my then new Stone-Buhr Kitchens 1971 cookbook entitled Cooking with Gourmet Grains. Still one of my favorite cookbooks BTW. (OK, I did reduce the amount of sugar, but that is the only change I made.)

So next time you decide to serve soup or stew, give this incredibly delicious bread a try. After all, most soups and stews take a fairly long time to cook. So while your soup or stew is happily burbling away on the stove, you could be making a loaf or two of this bread!  Now wouldn’t that thrill your family and friends?  After all, “Nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven”! Quote from the Pillsbury Doughboy (aka Poppin’ Fresh).  Actually, at 42 years old, the Pillsbury Doughboy should now be referred to as the Pillsbury Doughman. But I’ll never win that argument with the makers of advertisements, so I might as well leave that subject unassailed! Enjoy the bread.

• ¼ c. barely warm water
• 1 pkg. or 1 T. active dry yeast
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 c. lg. curd cottage cheese
• 1 T. dehydrated onion
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. dill seed
• 1 lg. egg
• 2¼ – 2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

Pour water into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle with yeast and sugar. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the cottage cheese to lukewarm and stir in the onion, butter, salt, baking soda, and dill seed. When the mixture is cool to the touch, add the egg. Add the cottage cheeses mixture to the yeast mixture; blend with your dough hook.

Add enough flour to make a stiff batter. Knead for a couple of minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 50-60 minutes. Punch down and turn into a well-greased 1½ qt. casserole dish or loaf pan. (When making a double batch, I divide the batter between 3 loaf pans. Makes for nice sized loaves.) Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until almost doubled.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches about 200 degrees. (You may need to place a piece of aluminum foil over the bread for the last 10-15 minutes to prevent the top crust from getting too brown.)

Remove bread from casserole or loaf pan; cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature with lots of soft butter.

And yes, this is yet another zucchini recipe! (I’m on a roll, and at this point, there’s no stopping me. At least until friends stop gifting me with home grown zucchini!) But even if I didn’t have zucchini in both my refrigerators, and a couple of cupboards in my unheated garage, I would want you to have this recipe. This zucchini bread is simply that good. And very easy to prepare.

The back story: A few years ago at a Labor Day family campout, daughter Ursala brought several loaves of this zucchini bread to share with her dear mother, Mr. C, her siblings and family, and the rest of our extended community. Well (and I’m still not proud of myself for this), it got time to pack up and leave, and one of the things that “left” was an absconded loaf of this delicious bread. I just walked over to her camp site and “lifted” one of the loaves. (What kind of mother does that?)

Now anyone who has the good fortune of being acquainted with my darling Ursala, knows that she would have gladly given me a loaf, had I but asked. But I was desperate! I absolutely had to have a loaf of this bread to take home.

Well the upshot is that, a) she knew immediately who had taken the bread, b) she was happy that I liked her bread so much, and c) SHE SENT ME THE RECIPE!

So dear readers, if someone gives you home grown zucchini, or you have to drive to your local grocery store to procure a zucchini or two, please make this delicious bread at your earliest convenience. It is just lovely.

Thanks again for the recipe my dearest Ursala. I love you to the moon!  

• 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. soda
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ c. sesame seeds
• ¼ c. sunflower seeds
• ¾ c. chopped walnuts
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. vegetable oil
• 1½ c. granulated sugar
• ½ c. brown sugar
• 2 c. packed grated zucchini (skin on)
• 2 tsp. vanilla

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. Stir in the sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and sugars. Stir in the grated zucchini and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour into 2 or 3 lightly greased loaf pans. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes (depending on how many pans you use) until a pick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of each loaf.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carefully removing from pans onto a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting.

Note: Believe it or not, this bread is best after it’s been frozen for a couple of days or longer. Of course you can eat it the same day it’s baked, but I’m tellin’ you true, it’s better after its spent some quality time with your ice cream!  

And yes, I love bread. And that my dear friends includes white bread. Good white bread that is! Because there are just those times when nothing is better than a sandwich made with two slices of wonderful homemade white bread. Think the day after Thanksgiving. For me, the best sandwich in the world contains few ingredients. White bread generously spread with soft butter and mayonnaise. (Both pieces.) Then tender, thin slices of leftover turkey lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper layered between those perfect pieces of bread. If that isn’t heaven, then I don’t know what is!

Or a perfect tuna sandwich made with white bread. (See my recipe for a perfect Tuna Salad Sandwich below.) These too are heavenly.

Or how about fabulous French toast. Thick slices of white bread, dipped in a combination of eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, then fried until golden brown and served with soft butter and warm maple syrup. Yum!

And for those of you who might still be resisting bread baking because you feel it would be too daunting, this bread could not be easier.

So next time you think about discrediting white bread, because well – it’s white, think again. This is not like cheap white bread from a grocery store. This is the real thing. This is what white bread should taste like. Bake some and see for yourself.   

• 1 (¼-oz.) envelope active dry yeast or 1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 c. warm water
• 2 T. olive oil, plus more for greasing bowl
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2½ – 3 c. bread flour

Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in the bowl of your heavy-duty stand mixer; let proof for 5 minutes.

Then add the olive oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour to the bowl. Using your dough hook, beat until ingredients are combined. Gradually add additional flour until dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl and pull together. Knead for about 5 minutes or until dough appears soft and smooth. 

Pour a small amount of olive oil over the dough, and using your fingers, form the dough into a ball, making sure the entire surface is covered with the oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down, and let stand an additional 10 minutes. Form per instructions below.

Loaf or Loaves:

Shape dough into a loaf shape and place in an olive oil greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. (For smaller loaves, cut dough in half, shape each piece into a loaf shape, and place each in a greased loaf pan.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 16 minutes or until golden brown. (The internal temperature should be around 200 degrees.) Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Note: I prefer 2 small loaves, then I cut the bread fairly thick for our morning toast with butter and honey.

Bâtard Shaped: (think small football shaped)

Shape dough into 2 fairly thin and short baguettes.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, and cut 3 (¼-inch deep) slits across top of dough with a sharp paring knife. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 16 minutes or until golden brown. (The internal temperature should be around 200 degrees.) Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Note: the picture above is of bâtard shaped loaves.

TUNA SALAD SANDWICHES (2)

• 1 T. dehydrated onion
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• ¼ c. light mayonnaise, or more as needed
• ¼ tsp. seasoned salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can water packed albacore tuna
• 4 slices white bread
• lettuce, opt.
• dill pickle slices, opt.
• thinly sliced tomato, opt.

Combine onion, mustard, mayonnaise, seasoned salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Let sit for a couple of minutes for the onion to soften. Stir in drained tuna. Add more mayonnaise if the mixture seems dry. (You want the mixture to have a soft, creamy texture. You know. The kind of sandwich filling that drips onto your plate or shirt while you are taking big bites.)

Spread mixture over 2 pieces of the bread. (Yes the filling will be real thick.) Then layer on lettuce, pickle slices, and thinly sliced tomatoes. Top each with the other slices of bread and dive in. Great served with potato chips.

OK, I know. Another darn bread recipe. But I love bread and really enjoy making it. So if you must, switch channels and stop reading this very minute! But, if you are like me and love good bread, please join me as I elucidate on the deliciousness of this bread.

First of all, what’s not to like about sour dough bread? Nothing, right? And this bread with its gentle sourdough flavor, wonderful texture and nutty, seedy topping is worth every second you spend in the kitchen.

I think that’s enough said! Thank you King Arthur Flour for this wonderful recipe.

Oh I forgot – this bread freezes beautifully. It also has a very nice appearance. (Looks like it came from a bakery!)

• 1¼ c. lukewarm water
• 2 c. sourdough starter (see recipe below)
• 4½ -5 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
• 2½ tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 T. active dry yeast
• 4 tsp. vital wheat gluten
• olive oil
• 1 egg yolk  
• 1 T. water
• ¼ c. brown flax seeds
• 2 T. sunflower seeds
• 2 T. sesame seeds
• 2 T. pumpkin seeds
• 1 T. poppy seeds
• 2 T. yellow cornmeal  

In the bowl of your stand mixture, combine the water, sourdough starter, and 3 cups of the flour, mixing until smooth.

Stir in the salt, sugar, yeast, and vital wheat gluten, then an additional 1½ to 2 cups of flour. Knead until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, adding only enough additional flour as necessary.

Knead the dough for about 7 minutes. Pour a small amount of oil over the dough, and using your hands, roll the dough into a ball. Make sure the olive oil lightly coats the ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes.

Gently deflate the dough, and divide into four pieces.

Shape each piece into a round and place the boules, at least 4″ apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets.   

Cover the boules with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let them rise for 1½ hours, or until they’re nice and puffy.  

Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolk and water; set aside. Also combine the flax, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, and poppy seeds together with the cornmeal; set aside also.

When the boules are nice and puffy, gently brush with the egg yolk glaze, and sprinkle with the seed and cornmeal mixture. 

For a classic look, slash an “X” on each boule, cutting about 1/4″ deep.  

Bake the boules in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until they’re a rich golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven. Place on wire racks to cool before slicing.

If not using the same day, cover gently with a tea towel and leave on your counter or in your bread box. Do not refrigerate! Slices make marvelous toast.

Sourdough Starter

• 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 T. or 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 2 c. warm water

Combine all ingredients in a plastic juice pitcher using a wooden or plastic spoon. (Don’t worry about lumps because the little yeasty beasties will make short work of dissolving the lumps!) Cover with lid, turning strainer in lid to pouring lip. (This allows air to reach the starter.) Let ferment 3 days at room temperature, stirring several times daily. After the third day, transfer starter to a covered glass container and refrigerate.

To use, remove desired amount for recipe and replenish starter by stirring in equal amounts of flour and water or follow the instructions for the particular bread you are making. Let stand at room temperature overnight. Return to refrigerator.

If a clear liquid forms on top, stir back into starter. Every time you use, replenish with equal amounts of flour and water. Even if you don’t use every week, replenish every 7 – 10 days with equal amounts flour and water. (First remove about ½ cup of the existing starter. This allows room in your container for the new flour (yeast food) and water.)

Use in any of your favorite bread, muffin, or pancake recipes.

So, this is basically the corn bread I served my kids while they were growing up. I say basically because I changed the recipe just a bit to better fit today’s standards for culinary excellence and nutritional integrity. In other words, I greatly reduced the amount of sugar and substituted butter for the margarine called for in the original recipe. I also added a can of creamed corn and some corn kernels because they help keep cornbread moist without adding additional fat. But, the basic flavor in this updated version is still very similar to the cornbread I fed my kidlets, so that’s what really matters! 

Now I say “original recipe” with my fingers crossed because the real original recipe I found in my copy of Cooking with Gourmet Grains, copyright 1971 Stone-Buhr Milling Co. Seattle, Washington. But even in 1971 when I was only 27 years old, I was changing recipes left and right. So at least for this recipe, I’m going to use “original” with a bit of poetic license. (BTW, the Stone-Buhr website is a great resource for wonderful recipes. All tried and true.) But I digress…..

Anyway, this cornbread is really tasty, moist, and simple to prepare. You don’t even need a mixer. It’s absolutely wonderful with chili, stew, or any hearty soup.

• 1 c. yellow cornmeal 
• ½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 T. sugar
• 2 T. baking powder (yes, 2 tablespoons) 
• 1½ tsp. seasoned salt
• ¼ tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 2/3 c. half & half   
• 2 lg. eggs  
• 1/3 c. melted unsalted butter
• 1 (14-oz.) can creamed corn
• 1 c. frozen corn, thawed and dried on paper towels
• 1 (4-oz.) can diced green chilies  
• 3 finely diced green onions (green stems and all)

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, seasoned salt, granulated garlic, chili powder, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, melted butter, creamed corn, corn kernels, green chilies, and green onions.

Pour wet mixture over the dry ingredients; mix just until blended. Scoop batter into a lightly greased 9×13-inch pan.  

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes or until a pick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm if possible. Can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. Great warmed for breakfast and served alongside ham and eggs.