Category Archives: Quick Breads

Ponderosa Cake

My sister in law, Lydia, gave me this recipe years ago; guess she was tired of my Banana Bread and Banana Choc Chip Muffins? It soon became a family favourite.

Ponderosa Cake
A wonderful blend of Banana, Chocolate and Cinnamon

1 cup Butter, softened
2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4 mashed Bananas <–not four cups of mashed bananas like I did once!!! O.O

3 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
pinch of Salt

1 cup Sour Cream

Topping 
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 350F
Lightly spray a 9X13 with Vegetable Oil Spray

Topping
In small mixing bowl, combine Brown Sugar, Cinnamon and Chocolate Chips; set aside.

In another small mixing bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder and salt; set aside.

Cream Butter with Sugar and add 1 Egg at a time.
Beat until light and fluffy.
Stir in Vanilla and Mashed Bananas.

Add Flour, BS, BP and salt to creamed mixture alternately with the Sour Cream, ending with the Flour mixture.

Spoon and spread 1/2 the batter into greased 9X13 pan. Sprinkle with half the Brown Sugar/Cinnamon/Choc Chip mixture.

Spoon remaining batter into pan, spread evenly and top with remaining Brown Sugar/Cinnamon/Choc Chip mixture.

Bake in 350F  oven for 50 – 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool, in pan, on wire rack until completely cool.

Cut into Squares and transfer to airtight container.

Can be served warm with Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream.

PBJ Muffins

When you have just too many over ripe bananas and you are tired of making Banana Bread these are a wonderful treat for snacking.

Super Moist Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins with a Jam surprise in the middle!

1 1/2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
pinch of Salt
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup smooth Peanut Butter
1 cup ripe Bananas, mashed (2 -4 depending on size)
2 Eggs (Egg Replacer)
3/4 cup Milk (Soy Milk)
1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 cup Strawberry Jam
1/4 cup Streusel Topping

Streusel Topping
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Butter, slightly softened

Prepare Streusel Topping:

Combine brown sugar and flour together in small mixing bowl.
Cut butter into cubes and toss into the flour mixture.
Rub together until crumbly.

Preheat oven to 375F.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar.
In large (Tupperware Measure and Mix works well for this) measuring cup mash bananas to measure 1 cup. Stir in 3/4 cup milk.
Whisk in eggs.
Stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter, stirring until well combined and no clumps of peanut butter remain.
Pour the liquid ingredients, all at once, into the dry ingredients and stir just until combines. Batter will be lumpy.

Fill the bottoms of prepared muffin cups using a 3 ounce Pampered Chef scoop.
Use a small teaspoon to add a scant amount of jam to each muffin cup.
Scoop an almost full 3 ounce scoop over the jam.
Top with a scant teaspoon of Streusel Topping.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, rotate pan and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Store an airtight container.

Yield: 12 muffins

Fruit and Nut Granola

I was inspired to make Granola by good friend Lisa in Hope, BC. This is how I am currently making it; really, it is whatever I have in the Pantry that determines the outcome of the Granola!

4 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Butter, melted
1/2 cup Honey
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1/4 cup Wheat Germ
1/4 cup Ground Flax Seed
*Almonds
*Cashews
*Coconut
*Dates, chopped
*Golden Raisins
*Dried Cranberries
*Sesame Seeds,
* Sunflower Seeds
*Dried Apricot, chopped
*Pumpkin Seeds
Preheat oven to 325F (160C)
Line Baking Trays with paper, if desired.
In large bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, wheat germ, ground flax seed and salt.
In medium bowl, combine Fruit and Nuts you will be using; set aside.
In small bowl, combine melted butter, honey, brown sugar and vanilla.
Pour honey mixture over oats mixture and combine to coat all the dry ingredients.
Pour onto prepared baking trays and spread evenly.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, stir in Fruit and Nuts, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Stir Granola.
Continue baking for another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir; continue stirring occasionally until completely cool.
Store in airtight container.

Peach Streusel Muffins

These are perfect to use up those Peaches and Nectarines that are beyond eye appeal for eating but still perfectly good!

Sunshiney Peach Streusel Muffins

I often double my Muffin Recipe and make 20 to 21 larger muffins.

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 large Egg, slightly beaten (Egg Replacer)
3/4 cup Milk (Soy Milk)
1/2 Vegetable Oil (I usually use half oil, half melted butter)
1 teaspoon Vanilla

4 – 5 Peaches or Nectarines, peeled and thickly sliced

Streusel Topping
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Butter, slightly softened

Preheat oven to 400F.
Line muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

Prepare Streusel Topping:
Combine brown sugar and flour together in small mixing bowl.
Cut butter into cubes and toss into the flour mixture.
Rub together until crumbly.

* I make a large amount of Streusel Topping from time to time and keep it handily stored in a Tupperware Round #3 Modular Mate in the fridge.

In large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
Add prepared fruit and toss to coat with flour; make a well in the centre and set aside.
In large pyrex measuring cup melt some butter, add enough oil to measure 1/2 cup; add milk (soy milk), vanilla and egg (egg replacer).
Stir with fork to combine.
Add liquid ingredients all at once to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Use a 5ounce Pampered Chef scoop to fill each prepared muffin cup.
Top with a scant teaspoon of Streusel Topping.

Bake in preheated 400F oven for 10 minutes, rotate pan(s) and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and pick in centre comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool in pan(s) on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Turn out and cool completely.
Store in airtight container for 2 – 3 days.

Yield: 12 Muffins

Bannock – Fried Bread

2 cups Flour (sometimes I use half whole wheat flour, half white flour)
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
Enough warm water to make a soft dough
1 cup Vegetable Oil, for frying

In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
Using a fork, stir in enough warm water to make a soft dough; start with about a 1/2 cup of water, stir, add a bit of water, stir.
Continue adding water a little at a time until you achieve the right consistency.
Heat about 1 cup of vegetable oil over high heat; drop a bit of dough in the hot oil, if it sizzles and floats to the top of the oil, it is ready to go.
While the oil is heating you can start forming your bannock; you can cook up to four bannock in the pan at one time.
Using a fork, scoop out about 1/4 cup of dough and drop it into a mound of flour.
With lightly floured hands, pick it up and gently toss it between your hands to lightly coat with flour and start shaping.
Place the dough on a very lightly floured surface and gently flatten to about 1/4inch thick.
Carefully place in hot oil, cook until golden.
 Flip and cook for another minute.
Remove from oil to paper towel lined platter.
Continue this procedure with the remaining dough.
When you are first starting to make Bannock, I recommend you have a partner in crime to give you a hand; one person can form the bannock and the other person can cook it. Heaps less stressful!
Enjoy your bannock!
Oh, and there are a gazillion and nine Bannock recipes and methods of cooking bannock…this is just how I was taught to make it.
PS…making Bannock is messy work! But well worth it!