Orange Poppy seed Bread

This bright take on a traditional lemon poppy seed bread uses oranges to pack a citrus punch. The result is delightfully sweet and beautifully dense. It pairs wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee. Makes 2 loaves.

Bread Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for greasing)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup olive oil
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups whole milk
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
3 tablespoons poppy seeds

Glaze Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Grease two 9” loaf pans with the butter.
3. In a stand mixer on low speed use the paddle attachment to mix the flour, salt, and baking powder until incorporated.
4. In a separate medium bowl, combine the oils, eggs, milk, sugar, extracts, juice, and zest. Whisk until well-combined.
5. Slowly add the liquid mixture, except for the poppy seeds, into the flour mixture. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until ingredients are evenly, but just incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to wipe down the sides if needed. Fold in the poppy seeds. 
6. Evenly divide the batter between the two greased loaf pans. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until tops are golden and an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
7. Once the bread has baked, combine the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl stirring until smooth. Pour the glaze over the still warm bread. Allow to cool for one hour before serving.

Classic Coffee Cake

This coffee cake features the classic autumn flavors of cinnamon and sweet nutty goodness. The addition of sour cream creates a moist, rich texture and flavor. As always, we recommend enjoying a slice with your favorite cup of joe! Makes one 9” coffee cake.

Topping Ingredients:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cake Batter Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 
1-1/3 cup butter
1-1/3 cup sugar
1-1/3 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease generously a 9” springform pan (or Bundt pan), toss a tablespoon of flour in the pan and shake about until all the grease surfaces are coated. Or, use a baking spray that contains flour to prepare the pan.
2. Prepare the topping ingredients. In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and pecans and set aside.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix the filling ingredients and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a stand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and slowly add sugar until light and fluffy, roughly 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture until just incorporated.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, sour cream, vanilla, and egg together and whisk until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the butter-flour mixture and stir until just combined. The dough will be thick resembling a sticky drop biscuit dough. 
6. Pour about 1/2 the batter into the pan, and sprinkle on a layer of the filling mixture. Add the remaining cake batter and top with the topping mixture. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
7. Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Release the the sides of the springform pan, or invert the Bundt pan. Allow the cake to cool further. Serve and enjoy with a cup of your favorite coffee.

Nana’s Banana Bread

It’s a time-honored truth. Grandma’s recipes are the best! Made-from-scratch, fresh, and warm from the kitchen - this simple recipe returns a moist, very dense bread full of real banana flavor. The top and sides are caramelized slightly to form a pleasant, sweet crust. We love this bread best when it’s toasted with a smear of butter. Makes 2 larger loaves, or 4 mini loaves, or one extra-large loaf and two minis.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
2 cups sugar
6 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups flour

Directions:
1. PREPARE PANS AND OVEN – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare baking pans by lightly greasing the interior sides of the baking pans. If desired, also line the pans with parchment paper for an absolutely flawless removal from the pan.
2. MIX BUTTER AND SUGAR – With a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Beat for 3 minutes until the mixture becomes a little fluy and slightly lighter in color.
3. MASH BANANAS – Using very ripe bananas, mash until fairly smooth in a separate bowl. If bananas are not totally ripe and easily mashed, puree with a food mill, or food processor.
4. ADD SOUR CREAM TO BANANAS – Add the sour cream to the banana puree, and mix until smooth and uniform. The sour cream will help to keep the bananas from over-browning during the mixing process.
5. BEAT EGGS, ADD TO BANANAS – With a whisk, break the eggs and beat slightly until uniform, but not foamy. Add to the banana-sour cream mixture, and stir. Add the banana, sour cream, and egg mixture to the creamed butter.
6. MIX DRY INGREDIENTS – In a large, separate bowl, mix the baking soda and flour together well so that the baking soda is evenly distributed throughout the flour.
7. ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS TO THE WET INGREDIENTS – With broad strokes, mix the flour mixture into the banana mixture.
8. BATTER INTO PANS – Pour or spoon the batter into the prepared pans. The batter will be thick. Fill the pans about three-quarters full; this is a dense bread and will rise only slightly.
9. BAKE IN A MODERATE OVEN – Bake in a moderate oven (350°F) for 75-85 minutes. Check after one hour, if the tops are browning too quickly, tent the baking pans with a sheet of aluminum foil.
10. TEST FOR DONENESS – Check for doneness with a cake tester, or a long bamboo skewer. Insert the tester into the middle of the pan. If it comes out with batter on it, bake longer and check in another 7 minutes; if it comes out cleanly, it’s done.
11. COOL – Cool the loaves in their pans for about 10 minutes, but no longer. Remove from pans and continue to cool the loaves on a cooling rack. Once cool enough to handle, slice, and enjoy