Poppy Seed Bread and Peonies

We've had some beautiful days lately. The flowers are starting to bloom and the days are beginning to warm up. I love that it's still cool enough outside to open the door and windows while I work in the kitchen. If the weather can't brighten up your day this delicious poppy seed bread sure will!

I'm loving the peonies in our yard. We have a really unique peony- I've never seen one like it before.

This is one of my FAVORITE breads ever. My mom made this poppy seed bread while I was growing up and I have many memories of helping her measure out the extracts and flavorings. This is one of the first recipes I learned to bake.

I make this recipe in my 5 quart Kitchen Aid mixer and always double the recipe when I make it. I put all of the ingredients in my mixer in the order listed and leave the mixer on stir, or your lowest notch, the whole time. It mixes it really well and I've found that if you start and stop the mixer, the jerk of the machine starting will slosh your precious batter out! So because of that, I let mine mix nice and slow while I add the ingredients and it doesn't affect the recipe!

The little loaves make great gifts! Who doesn't love a little loaf of sweet bread??

This bread is covered in a sweet, orange juice glaze = so good!

The only poppy seed bread recipe I will ever make. Seriously, it's that good! Thanks to my long time friends, the Troyer Family, for letting me share this recipe!

Poppy Seed Bread Recipe

3 cups flour

2 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup milk

1 1/8 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring

Combine all of the ingredients for the bread and mix well, 1-2 minutes, with an electric mixer. Pour into 6 greased mini loaf pans or 2 regular size bread pans. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then glaze.

Glaze:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. butter flavoring

Mix all glaze ingredients well. Pour over warm bread while still in pans.

Recipe doubles well. Bread freezes well. Store in an airtight container.

I'm having an impromptu party in my kitchen! Flowers, food, and bread! :)

Who is going to make some of this sweet bread?

What's your favorite bread? Comment below! 

Megan

Mini Banana Muffins

It takes some serious self-control to not walk by the counter and pop a couple of these bite-sized muffins in my mouth!

Nate and I have been taking a sugar break. April has been a long month! Even though we aren't eating it, that hasn't stopped me from making it!

I love the chance to make special desserts. Bridal showers are the perfect excuse to make fun, little treats.

Wrappers dress-up anything you're serving.

I only use one banana bread recipe. My mom received the recipe from a friend while she was living in Texas in 1986. It is the recipe I've grown up eating and making- so don't mess with a good thing, right?

I whip up the wet ingredients in my Kitchen Aid and and then add the dry ingredients. This recipe only takes 5 minutes to mix up! 

I've found in the past that mini muffins can be a huge pain when filling each tiny hole! The secret to mess-free, stress-free mini muffins is way too simple. I use a small cookie scoop to fill my tins! So much easier and neater.

Banana Bread Recipe

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs 

2-3 ripe, well-mashed bananas

2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Blend together sugar, butter, and eggs. Add bananas. 

In a medium bowl mix flour, salt, soda, and powder together. Slowly add to the creamed mixture.

Add cold water and blend.

Fold in 1/2 cup nuts.

Scoop into tin about 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees F. Large loaf about an hour. Small loaves about 45 but check starting at 35 minutes. Mini muffins about 15-20 minutes. 

Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 3 small loaves, 1 large loaf, or approx. 48 mini muffins.

Recipe doubles and freezes well. 

I wanted my mini muffins to be more decorative so I whipped up some cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1 block cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer. Add in the vanilla and mix well.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator. 

I filled a decorator with my frosting and piped a small star on each muffin before serving. 

A sweet spring treat. 

One of my favorite breads to make and eat :) and use up all of those over-ripe bananas! 

Who has bananas sitting on their counter that are past their prime?

Megan

Yummy Homemade Granola

Granola...mmm! 

I'm not much of a breakfast person but I try to eat a little something every morning. My quick, go-to breakfast has been honey vanilla greek yogurt with granola or fruit.

Between the two of us, Nate and I eat a lot of granola! I have been interested in making my own granola for quite awhile and experimenting with different ingredients.

This granola smelled like cookies baking while in the oven and it did not disappoint, so delicious!

Homemade Granola Recipe

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 pinch of salt

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins 

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. honey

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine oats, salt, cinnamon, almonds, pecans, and raisins in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

In a glass measuring cup, melt coconut oil. Add the brown sugar, honey, and vanilla to the oil and stir.*    

Pour some of the liquid into the oat mixture and mix well. Continue to stir and add the remaining liquid until evenly coated.

Spread evenly on a large baking sheet with sides. 

Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Stir granola every 8 minutes. Stir when you remove from oven for the last time. Let cool completely before storing in a clean, dry container. 

*I used coconut oil and my sugar did not dissolve into it but became a big blob floating in the oil. I chopped this up the best I could with my spoon and it did not affect the finished product!

This recipe is so forgiving! If your mixture is way too dry, add some more melted coconut oil, melted butter, or honey!

I plan on making this with dried apricots, pecans, and cinnamon next! The possibilities are endless with different combinations of fruit, nuts, seeds, and chocolate!

It was hardly cooled before a corner was missing from the pan! Yum!

I'm looking forward to breakfast tomorrow!

Who is going to make some granola?!

Megan