Great Harvest Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I got this recipe from our neighbors. If any of you have been to Great Harvest, you know how amazing their breads are! I haven't tried this yet, but I'm sure it's awesome!

• 2 ½ C. White flour
• 1 C. whole wheat flour
• 3 C. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. salt
• 16 oz. cooked or canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 C. oil
• 4 eggs, beaten lightly
• 2/3 C. water
• 1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre heat oven to 350’ F. Grease two (9x5”) loaf pans or three (8x4”) loaf pans. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside. Mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, and 2/3 C water together and stir into dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Place batter in prepared pans. Bake 60 or 70 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Grandma Anderson's Marvelous Muffins

If you've ever stayed at Grandma Anderson's house you might have stolen a few of these goodies from the fridge. The thing is she is always willing to make more for the unwashed masses and starving hords that are her children and their familes. I love these muffins. I warn you however, they will roto-rooter you, so be prepared!

3 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C flaxseed meal
1 C brown sugar
3/4 C white sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 C applesause
1-2 C mashed bananas (about 4-5 medium)
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2 c whole blue berries (optional -- or any other fruit, or chocolate chip)

Directions
Use the muffin method to make this, which is where you combine the dry and wet ingredients in seperate bowls then combine them right before cooking. Combine, flour, flaxseed and leavenings in the bigger of your two bowls, making sure that evreything is evenly mixed. In a seperate bowl, mash the bananas and add the applesause, egg, sugars and vanilla and mix well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients
If you are adding blueberries or anyother fruits, fold them in after you have combined the wet and dry ingredients. Grease and flour your muffin tins--use 4 small tins or 2 large tins for a total of 24 muffins. Dish the batter and fill each muffin cup to the top. Bake at 350F for 30 mins or until a knife comes out clean. Allow to cool at least 15 mins before serving. This can also be made as a quick bread. Grease and flour two loaf pans and fill them up with batter. Bake at 350 for 45-50 mins or till a knife comes out clean.

Corn Bread - from Joyce

I love corn bread. I really loved it (haha) as a missionary when there was a flour shortage and this was the only bread we could make. But really, homemade corn bread is so much better than the box of Jiffy Mix, and it's really easy to make!

1 1/4 C flour
3/4 C corn meal of your color prefreance (white, yellow or blue)
1/4 C sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt1 C milk1/4 C oil
1 beaten egg.

Method:Add all ingredients and beat with a hand mixer till mostly smooth. Pour out into a GREASED (very important!!) 8" or 9" square pan. Bake at 400F for 20-25 mins or till a knife intserted in the center comes out clean.


Variation:Add a can of green chili or jalepeno for spicy bread!

Pumpkin Bread

Yet another recipe in my series of recipes dedicated to the greatest of all the winter squahes, The Pumpkin. It's also a nod to Linus Van Pelt, my favorite Peanuts charachter.

To make this recipe really good, you need to use the "Muffin Method", if you watch Alton Brown, you already know what this is, but if you don't, I will explain. The muffin method requires that you combine the wet and dry ingredients seperately. You do this so the leavenings work best. You can use this method with all quick breads such as: pumpkin, zucchini, banana, cran-orange etc. You can also use it with muffins you make yourself.

3 C sugar
1 C oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 C flour**
1/2 C wheat germ (optional)
1/4 C ground flax seed (optional)
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
2/3 C water***
2 C pumpkin***

Method:
In one bowl combine the sugar, oil and eggs and beat till smooth. In another bowl combine the flour**, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Now, combine the contents of both bowls and beat. When this is done, add the pumpkin*** and water*** and beat till blended. Pour out into two greased/foured bread pans and bake at 350F for 55-65 mins, or till a knife insterted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5-10 mins in the pan, then turn out on to a rack or cutting board to finish cooling.

**I use a combination of white and whole wheat flour. I usually put 2 C white flour to 1 1/3 C wheat flour. In other recipes I will use a half and half mixture. Using all whole wheat flour tends to make the bread very dry and crumbly. Whole wheat flour can be found in the store near the white flour, usually in the Bob's Red Mill display, and must be kept in the fridge so it won't spoil.

***Regarding the pumpkin you use. If you use canned (but why would you??) get the 15 oz size. You will need to add the 2/3 C water if you use canned pumpkin. If you use fresh pumpkin, omit the water as the fresh pumpkin has the water in it. Also, you might need to add 1/4 C extra flour with fresh pumpkin if you omit the flax seed and wheat germ.

As for flax seed and wheat germ, I'm a big fan of both. Flax seeds have tons of good omega-3 fats in them, they also have a ton of dietary fiber. Wheat germ is the same -- good fats, and fiber. They can be found also in the Bob's Red Mill display.