Homemade Quick Breads

Quick Sweet Breads such as cinnamon rolls, pumpkin bread or monkey breads have been a favorite among southern families for years. They're versatile because you can use them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or snacks. Most of the recipes that I've come across can be frozen, and thawed either in the microwave or at room temperature for later use. This makes them a great idea for funeral meals, holidays or family gatherings.

As with any recipe, a lot of these have been updated to include modern day conveniences such as microwaves, cake mixes, and even regrigerated biscuits!
Yes, our first recipe is for Orange Bread, and it's main ingredients are refrigerated buttermilk biscuits. But, if you won't tell...I won't.

Orange Bread

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbsp Grated orange rind
2 (11oz) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, cut into 20 squares
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp. orange juice

Combine sugar, pecans and orange rind in a small bowl and set aside.
Seperate biscuit dough into individual biscuits; gently seperate each biscuit in half.
Place a cream cheese square between the two halves and pinch sides to seal back together.
Dip in butter and dredge in reserved sugar/pecan mixture.
Stand biscuits on edge in a lightly greased Bundt Pan, spacing evenly.
Drizzle with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.
Bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately invert onto serving plate.
Combine confectioners sugar and orange juice. Mix well, and drizzle over warm bread.
This is best served warm.

Are you hungry yet? Well if not, perhaps this next recipe will send you running for the kitchen. It's the easiest banana bread that I've ever come across. A friend of my grandmother's gave it to me years ago. I've passed it on to friends, and it frequently shows up at church potlucks now.

Banana Bread

1 cup butter flavored Crisco Shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3-4 ripe bananas
2 & 1/2 cups flour
1 & 1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. dalt
1& 1/2 cups pecans

Cream together Crisco, sugar, eggs and bananas. Add dry ingredients to mixture and mix until well blended. Pour into 4 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350* for about an hour.

What did I tell you? Nothing to that one. It's so easy, that even my teenaged daughter's can make it. And one of them can't boil water without burning it!
I know what it is...you're watching your weight and your choloestrol right? Well how about a nice recipe for something healthy? And you can't get much healthier than Bran Muffins. This recipe makes enough for a party and are guaranteed to knock the socks off of everyone you serve them to. Then you can proudly say "And they're good for you!"

Mama Mary's Bran Muffins

1 small box Raisin Bran Cereal
5 cups unsifted flour
3 cups Sugar or Splenda
5 tsp. soda
2 tsp. salt
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Fill greased mufin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 400* for 15-20 minutes. Mixture may be stored in refrigerator for 6 weeks or all muffins may be baked and frozen.

The last recipe that definately a keeper that you can pass down to your kids someday is for Zucchini Bread. It's a bit of an unusual flavor, but one that my family has quickly adopted as one of their favorites.

Zucchini Bread

Mix together:
3 eggs, beaten unti fluffy
1 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 & 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups zucchini, grated

Sift together in seperate bowl
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Combine two mixtures and bake at 350* in 2 greased and floured loaf pans for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Happy Baking!