Orange for a Sunday

          Orange Pumpkin Loaf on left and Big Banana Bread with orange on the right.

BIG BANANA BREAD

1 cup white flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

Pinch salt

6 large ripe bananas

8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

2/3 cup orange juice

Tablespoon of grated orange rind

 ¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup chopped walnuts

*2 tsp sugar for sprinkling on top

Combine wet. Combine dry. Combine together.

Pile into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle top with sugar.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Be sure to check close to time, for doneness. Add time, if needed. Lovely scent as it bakes.

ORANGE PUMPKIN LOAF ( 2011)

(Double recipe makes 2 loaf pans, or 11 mini loaf pans. Adjust time accordingly.)

1/3 cup butter

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup orange juice

1 grated and pureed orange

1 cup white  flour

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

½ cup chopped nuts ( I use pecans)

1 cup dried cranberries/raisins mixed ( I toss in a bit more for good measure)

                  (Both loaves ready to go into oven. Banana on left this time. )

Cream all wet ingredients, then add ground up orange. Add all dry and combine together..do not beat, or you will be sorry…gets tough that way. Plop into pans. The mini loaf pans are great. Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour with larger loaf pans. Bake for about 30 minutes with mini pans. Just be sure to check after 20 minutes, with a sharp knife plunged into the centre to test for doneness.

Cool and wrap to freeze. Serve with anything and everything…..

Banana Bread

 Banana Bread.........
1/2 cup margarine. 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup mashed or squished up banana, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, pinch salt, 1 cup chopped pecans. 1/2 cup or so of orange juice at the very end. Mix all together, adding orange juice last to make the mixture smooth. Plop into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes will done. Test with sharp knife. Let cool. Slice and serve. Wayyyy yummy.

This is what I like to do ( with clean hands, mind you)....squish up the bananas....way fun. When I was a kid, my mum would make an orange frosting to drizzle over the finished bread. But it is good without it, just the same.