Strawberry Brunch Bread

         Last week Mom pulled out a cookbook that had belonged to Aunt Karen. 

 

     Aunt Karen had marked the recipes she had made so we decided to try one.

 Strawberry Brunch Bread
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (we use vegetable)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups firmly packed sliced strawberries (think brown sugar)
2/3 cup firmly packed sweetened flaked coconut  (once again, like brown sugar)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 9-inch fluted tube pan.  Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a large bowl beat eggs.  Beat into the eggs (in this order) sugar, oil and lemon juice.  Stir in strawberries.

Add the flour mixture and stir just until  the dry ingredients are moistened.  Fold in coconut.

Turn into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool further.  Store on a covered cake plate or wrap in foil.

                  We made this delicious cake twice in 3 days.  A new family favorite!

Gingerbread Pancakes

This weeks new recipe comes from yet another wonderful coffee table... I mean cookbook from Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch.

                                                                        photo credit-williams-sonoma.com

Gingerbread Pancakes
1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, molasses, melted butter and 3/4 cup of water. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until blended. There will be some small lumps.

Place a large griddle or frying pan over medium heat until hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle and then immediately evaporate.  Melt 1/2 teaspoon of butter in the pan. For each pancake, ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot buttered surface. Cook until small  bubbles appear and the edges start to look dry, about 3-4 minutes, lift the pancake to check if the underside is done; do not let the pancakes darken to much. Carefully turn the pancakes and cook until lightly browned on the second sides, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to an ovenproof platter and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, buttering the griddle/pan each time. Makes 8 pancakes

                                                                 Lots of little bowls

                                             My helper for the day "Dimple Darling"

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the finished product but I was um.... shall we say "preoccupied".