consigliato per te

  • in

    Parmesan-Herb Buttermilk Bread

    The classic flavors of ranch dressing— , , onion, and garlic—come together in this delicious  quick . Serve slices warm with butter, or top with your favorite fillings for an open-faced sandwich. 2½ cups (313 grams) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt 1 teaspoon (3 […] LEGGI TUTTO

  • in

    Best Holiday Fruitcake

    This easy fruitcake is perfect for the holidays. It’s light, tender, and full of dried fruits and nuts. Sprinkle the loaf with brandy, or leave it out! Either way, this fruit cake is a welcome addition to the holiday table.

    Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

    Are you a fruitcake lover? Though this traditional holiday cake is often maligned (I guess some people don’t like candied fruit?), it’s wonderful when well prepared.
    This fruitcake is our family’s favorite, packed with dates, walnuts, raisins, and glazed cherries. Think raisin bread, on steroids. The recipe comes from the wife of a family friend, Patricia, who for years sent us a loaf every Christmas.
    We usually have to make at least two loaves—one to eat right away because we just can’t wait, and the other to sprinkle with brandy and save for Christmas day. These loaves also make terrific gifts.
    Video! The Best Holiday Fruitcake

    How to Make Fruitcake
    Fruitcake is really just like any other quick bread or loaf cake, only with a lot more fruit and nuts added. You make a simple cake batter, stir in the fruits and nuts, and bake until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
    The resulting cake is dense and looks like a beautiful mosaic when sliced, with fruits and nuts in every bite.
    You can sprinkle the cake with liquor (we like brandy), or leave it alcohol-free. The liquor will make the fruitcake more moist, and will help it last longer.
    Tips for the Best Fruit Cake
    Toss the fruits and nuts in flour before mixing them into the batter. This will help keep them evenly distributed throughout the cake during baking.
    Place a pan of water in the oven alongside the fruitcake. This will help with a more even, gentle cooking.
    It’s best to slice this fruitcake with a knife with a serrated edge, such as a bread knife.

    How Long Does Fruitcake Last?
    Fruitcake lasts longer than most other cakes because it is filled with nuts and candied fruit. It will last even longer if you sprinkle it with a spirit like brandy. Just keep it tightly wrapped.
    Without brandy, the cake will last tightly wrapped a week or more.
    With brandy, the cake can last a month or more.
    How to Store and Freeze Fruitcake
    Cool the fruitcake completely, poke a few holes in the top of the cake and sprinkle it with brandy if desired. Wrap the loaf tightly with aluminum foil and store it on the counter.
    To freeze, wrap the loaf in plastic and then in aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months.
    More Festive Holiday Treats

    Updated December 20, 2020 : We added a new video to help you make the best fruitcake ever. No changes to the original recipe.

    Best Holiday Fruitcake Recipe

    Best to slice this fruitcake with a knife with a serrated edge, such as a bread knife.

    Ingredients
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 cup (236 ml) full fat sour cream
    1 cup (130 g) chopped dates
    2 cups (280 g) raisins
    1/2 cup (75 g) chopped glazed cherries (can sub dried sweetened cranberries)
    1 cup (100 g) chopped walnuts
    2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour [divided into 1/4 cup (30 g) and 1 3/4 cups (130 g)]
    1/2 cup butter (1 stick, 113 g)
    1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
    1 large egg, room temperature
    Grated rind of one orange
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 ml) brandy (optional)

    Method

    1 Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with greased parchment paper or brown baking paper, cut to fit the pan.
    Place one piece to run the length of the pan and stand up above the rim about an inch. Place the other piece or pieces to cover the other sides. When the cake comes out of the oven, you can easily remove it by holding the sides of the paper and lifting the cake out of the pan.

    2 Mix together sour cream and baking soda: In a small bowl, mix together the baking soda and sour cream; set aside.

    3 Toss the fruits and nuts with flour: Combine the dates, raisins, cherries, and nuts with 1/4 cup of the flour and toss to coat the fruit and nuts. Set aside.

    4 Make the fruitcake batter: Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the egg, then the orange rind, then the sour cream/baking soda mix.
    Add the flour and the salt and mix together. Combine fruit/nut mixture with creamed ingredients and mix well to distribute the fruit and nuts evenly.

    5 Bake the fruitcake: Scoop the batter into a prepared 5×9-inch loaf pan, and press down to even the surface.
    Place the batter-filled pan into the preheated oven. Place a separate pan of water in the oven either on a rack underneath the fruitcake or beside it. (The water will help with a more even, gentle cooking.)
    Bake at 325°F (160°C) for approximately 1 1/2 hours to 1 3/4 hours, or until the internal temperature is between 205°F and 209°F, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Water may need to be replenished during baking. If the top of the fruitcake is getting too browned as it bakes, tent it with some foil.

    6 Cool on a rack: Remove to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Let cool completely.
    Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum to store. If you want, poke a few holes over the top of the cake and sprinkle on a few ounces of brandy or bourbon. This will make the fruitcake more moist and will help it last longer.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family’s recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
    More from Elise LEGGI TUTTO

  • in

    Applesauce Spice Cake

    Welcome fall with this easy applesauce cake! It’s rich, moist, and fragrant with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Top with cream cheese frosting or leave plain.

    Photography Credit: Sally Vargas

    When apple season starts, we spend weeks making homemade applesauce and apple butter with apples from our trees. We freeze the applesauce to use all year long so are always looking for ways to use it!
    As our freezer is now packed with applesauce, and there’s more to come, I thought I would experiment with an applesauce cake recipe in the Mitchell Davis’ cookbook Kitchen Sense.
    It’s less of a “cake” and more like a quick bread, similar to our banana, zucchini, and pumpkin breads. The batter comes together quickly, and you pour it into a square baking pan to bake. You could also easily use the same batter to make applesauce muffins instead.

    How to Serve Applesauce Cake
    Applesauce cake can be served straight from the pan, or lift it using the parchment paper to serve on a tray. It’s also great topped with cream cheese frosting, or left plain.
    Serve applesauce cake as an afternoon snack or evening dessert. Either way, a cup of coffee or tea alongside makes a cozy fall treat.
    How to Store and Freeze Applesauce Cake
    Frosted or unfrosted applesauce cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. (However, if your kitchen is warmer than 70°F, store frosted cakes in the fridge.)
    To freeze: Do not frost the cake. Let it cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight on the counter before serving or frosting.
    Check out our other apple cake recipes!
    Updated September 26, 2020 : We spiffed up this post with some new photos and new information to help you make the best cake ever. Some minor changes to the recipe for clarity. Enjoy!

    Applesauce Spice Cake Recipe

    Recipe adapted from Kitchen Sense by Mitchell Davis.

    Ingredients
    2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
    1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 cup (112g, stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
    1 cup (200g) sugar
    3 large eggs
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 cup applesauce
    1/4 cup plain yogurt diluted a bit with milk, or 1/4 cup of buttermilk
    1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
    1/2 cup raisins
    1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting, optional
    Extra walnuts to decorate, optional

    Method

    1 Preheat oven, prepare pan: Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan, and then line with parchment to create a sling.
    2 Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
    3 Make the batter: In a separate bowl using an electric mixer or in a stand mixer, beat butter until light. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Add the vanilla and the applesauce and beat until smooth.
    Mix in half of the dry ingredients. Just before they are blended, add the thinned yogurt (or buttermilk). Then mix in the rest of the dry ingredients and the nuts and raisins, until completely incorporated. Do not over-mix.

    5 Bake: Pour out the batter into your prepared cake pan. Place in the middle rack of the 375°F oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should spring back when touched.

    6 Cool: Remove the cake from the oven. Let cool for 15 minutes. Lift the cake from the pan using the parchment and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with some walnuts, if you like, or serve it plain.
    The cake can be stored back inside the pan, or in an airtight container.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

    Products We Love

    8″ Square Baking Dish

    $19.00 (5% savings) on Amazon
    Buy

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family’s recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
    More from Elise LEGGI TUTTO

  • in

    Zucchini Bread

    Zucchini bread is a perennial favorite and what to make when the gardens are overflowing with this summer veggie. This easy bread is tender and gently spiced.

    I still remember the first time I encountered zucchini bread as a teenager. I had a hard time getting my mind around the concept. At the time, zucchini was something my mom made me eat, and not anything you would bake into something sweet.
    Fortunately, the pathway into my naturally resistant-to-new-foods teenage mind had already been cut with carrot cake. Heck, if you could get something that good out of carrots, why not zucchini?
    After one bite, I was sold forever. Grated zucchini, mixed into the batter, brings moisture and tender texture to what is essentially a spice cake.
    VIDEO! How to Make Zucchini Bread

    No need for a mixer
    This is a favorite, tried-and-true zucchini bread recipe. It couldn’t be easier; you don’t need a mixer!
    It’s basically our zucchini muffin recipe in a bread form. It’s a standard quick bread recipe that starts with grated zucchini, about 3 to 4 cups of it. It is pretty forgiving. If you use 4 cups, it will result in a more moist and dense bread.

    How to Prepare the Zucchini for Zucchini Bread
    Grate the zucchini on a standard box grater. No need to peel!
    After grating, place the grated zucchini in a sieve over a bowl to drain any excess moisture while you prep the other ingredients.
    Note that different zucchini can really vary in their moisture content, depending on if they were garden picked in season or store-bought off season.
    A tip I learned from my grandmother is if I grate zucchini and it is on the dry side, to sprinkle water over it, and then let in drain in a sieve.
    What Can I Add to Zucchini Bread?
    Walnuts and pecans are especially good in zucchini bread, and so is dried fruit. I like raisins or dried cranberries, but you can also add shredded coconut, a handful of mini chocolate chips. A bit of orange zest would work too, or grated apples or carrots.
    By the way, I used to also show a second recipe on this page for a version with crushed pineapple. You can now find that recipe here: Zucchini Bread with Pineapple.

    How to Store and Keep Zucchini Bread
    This bread will keep at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for several days. If you would like to freeze it, wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in a ziptop freezer bag, pressing out as much air as possible.
    Frozen zucchini bread will taste best if you eat it within 3 months. Thaw it on the countertop, still wrapped, or in a low oven. (More freezing and thawing advice in this post.)
    HERE ARE 5 MORE QUICK BREADS YOU MAY LIKE

    Updated July 26, 2020 : We added a video to help guide you through making this recipe. Enjoy! LEGGI TUTTO

  • in

    Soda Farls

    Northern Ireland has its own signature take on soda bread in the form of farl wedges, derived from the Gaelic word fardel, roughly translated to “four part.” Though they’re traditionally baked on an open-hearth flame, we baked our farls on the more modern griddle. In keeping with the methods of the Old World, though, we harned the dough—turning and cooking the sides of the farl to make sharp, crisp edges.

    Soda Farls

    1⅔ cups (208 grams) all-purpose flour
    ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
    ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
    3 tablespoons (42 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed and divided
    ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons (225 grams) whole buttermilk
    Herb Compound Butter (recipe follows)

    In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda until well combined. Using your fingers, cut in 2 tablespoons (28 grams) cold butter until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Make a well in center, and add buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, stir buttermilk into dry ingredients, working from center to outside of bowl, just until combined and a dough forms.
    Turn out dough onto a heavily floured surface, and flour top of dough. Using floured hands, tuck and rotate dough until edges are rounded and even. Pat into an 8-inch circle (½-inch thickness). Using a knife dipped in flour, cut into quarters.
    Preheat a cast-iron griddle to medium heat. (See Note.) Add remaining 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter to griddle.
    Brush and shake off any excess flour from dough quarters, and place, not touching, on hot griddle. Cook until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. (Bread will double in size and puff up; if you want a neater look, use knife or bench scraper to keep edges straight.) Turn, and cook until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. (If you tap bottom of loaf, it should sound hollow.) Stand each farl on its side, and place side by side. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes; repeat with remaining 2 sides. Serve warm with Herb Compound Butter.

    A 12-inch cast-iron skillet will work, too. Cook farls until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes per side.

    3.5.3251

    Herb Compound Butter

    ½ cup (113 grams) salted butter, softened
    1 tablespoon (2 grams) chopped fresh dill
    1 tablespoon (2 grams) chopped fresh tarragon
    1 teaspoon (1 gram) lemon zest

    In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Let stand until softened before serving.

    3.5.3251

     

    Facebook

    Twitter

    Pinterest

    WhatsApp

    Previous articleApple Slice Traybake

    Next articleIrish Cream Cake LEGGI TUTTO