This here is perhaps my absolute favorite bread to make. It seems to be fail-proof and it is always delicious. If you are adverse to the onion-y flavor the “Everything Bagel” mixes provide, King Arthur Baking sells an Artisan Bread topping that is similar, minus the onion flakes, or you could make some yourself by combining pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and salt. This boule is quite big, so I cut it half and then cut half-loaf slices. You can also freeze it, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Makes a super-yummy sandwich bread too.
Banana Bread returns. The quintessential baked good of the pandemic — or maybe second to sourdough. The question actually is: is banana *bread* actually a bread? Why is it not a cake?
And why the name “Go Bananas, Mr. Foster!”? Well, Bananas Foster, the dessert, often made “table side” at restaurants (how 1970s), is lots of butter, lots of sugar — which when mixed together make a caramel-like sauce — rum to flambe and bananas, served with ice cream, is pretty much wrapped up in this banana bread. Well, minus the ice cream and I didn’t set the banana bread on fire. Also, if you ever went to a University of Maine sporting event, you will know that the black bear mascot is named Bananas the Bear. There is a little jingle/cheer that goes “Go! Bananas! Go-go Bananas!” So I have had that stuck in my head for days, so I combined Bananas Foster and Bananas the Bear. Go-go Bananas!
Here is my second bread to show off for Bread Week: an artisan cinnamon raisin bread. I’d say that it is a cinnamon “swirl” bread, but with no knead breads, they are pretty hard to create the swirl itself, so it is more like cinnamon “streak” bread. I know that raisins are a a controversial food item (sort of like Brussels Sprouts). If you don’t like ’em, leave ’em out. 🙂
Anadama Bread: one of those typically Massachusetts / New England breads. I actually revised this one — and then entered it into a contest, which I don’t think that I will win, but nevertheless, I entered — by adding a little bit of nutmeg, a very dark avocado blossom honey to go with the molasses, and then baking it in one of my dutch ovens instead of the traditional loaf pan. Came out quite nicely. It’s a lovely breakfast bread, so may become part of my standard bread making routine.
These are Almond Butter Cinnamon Chip Mini Cookies. A cookie will easily fit in the palm of my hand (like literally the palm part, not touching my fingers). They are wheat free / gluten free, butter free and despite taking all that fun stuff out, taste really yummy. Full of cinnamon and almond. They can also be made with mini chocolate or mini white chocolate chips.