Quick Breads and Muffins

There's something wonderful about homemade bread, whether the taste, the way its scent fills the house, the feeling of making something this yummy.

What if you don't have the time or energy to make yeast bread, though, with its rising time (usually at least twice)? That's where Quick Breads and Muffins fit in. They tend to make the house smell wonderful, they taste great, and are usually appreciated by those around you.

Here are six quick breads and muffins to try your hand at. Check out the Irish Whole Wheat Soda Bread, the Southern-Style Cornbread, or any of the other yummy recipes in today's post. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY MUFFINS

By now, you may remember me posting about Rollin' Oats. It has two stores in the Tampa Bay (Florida) area, one in Tampa, the other in St. Petersburg. Since I live way closer to St. Pete, I frequently go to that store. It's really one of my favorite places to shop. (Hint: If you live in the area, or are visiting, I highly recommend checking it out.)

Anyway, whenever I'm in Rollin' Oats, I pick up a copy of Taste For Life. This is from the March 2021 issue of Taste For Life (page 12). Prep Time: 35 minutes, plus 30 minutes cool time; Makes 9 muffins

To view this online, go to https://tasteforlife.com/healthy-recipes/desserts/chocolate-raspberry-muffins.

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 large eggs

1/4 cup oil, plus additional for greasing pan

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9 of the muffin cups in a muffin pan.

In a large bowl, combine coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, honey, and vanilla extract. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Gently fold in raspberries.

Scoop approximately 1/4 cup of batter into each greased muffin cup.

Bake approximately 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for 1/2 hour.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD

This yummy recipe is from Diana Rattray, who has contributed to About.com and The Spruce Eats for years. For this recipe, she wrote, "Cornbread differs in flavor and texture depending on what part of the country you are in. Southern cornbread is unsweetened and more crumbly than the sweet cake-like recipes from the North; it's also cooked in a very hot cast-iron skillet, while Northern cornbread is typically made in a baking dish. This cornbread recipe is for the classic buttermilk cornbread you'll find throughout the South. There's generally no sugar added to Southern cornbread, which makes it an ideal side dish for a savory meal. Serve it fresh from the oven, cut into wedges, with beans or collard greens or a big bowl of chili. It can also be used to make a delicious cornbread stuffing. If you want to go "old school," crumble some of this cornbread into a mug and enjoy it with a few splashes of buttermilk."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 22 minutes; Total Time: 32 minutes; Makes 6 to 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/classic-southern-buttermilk-cornbread-3054140.

Ingredients

1/4 cup melted shortening, divided

2 cups white or yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

Butter, for serving, optional

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Position the rack in the center of the oven.

Brush about 1 tablespoon of melted shortening in a 9- to 10-inch cast-iron skillet and put the skillet in the oven

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to blend thoroughly.

In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of melted shortening.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until blended. Carefully remove the hot cast iron pan from the oven and set it on a metal rack. Pour the batter into the sizzling shortening in the hot skillet.

Return the skillet to the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375 F, and bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until golden brown.

Cut the cornbread into wedges and serve hot with a pat of butter, if desired.

Enjoy.

How to Serve Southern Cornbread

Southern buttermilk cornbread is delicious served alongside soups, stews, chili, beans, or greens. Many people like to crumble their cornbread in a glass and fill it with cold milk. You can also turn a pan of cornbread into a great dressing to go with chicken, pork, or turkey.

Tips

If you find the cornbread is too crumbly, increase the amount of flour (decreasing the cornmeal proportionally); the additional gluten will help to keep the mixture together.

For the optimal cornbread, splurge on a quality stone-ground cornmeal, which will offer more flavor and an interesting, varied texture.

Recipe Variations

For a little extra flavor, add some bacon drippings or duck fat to the cast iron skillet.

Although it will break from tradition, if you prefer a sweeter cornbread, add a few tablespoons of sugar or honey to the batter.

SOUTHERN-STYLE CORNBREAD

This yummy recipe also comes from Diana Rattray. For this recipe, she wrote, "Cornbread is a staple in the South. It is absolutely essential with bean dishes, black-eyed peas, greens, hearty stews, and, of course, country-style ribs. It's a cheap, filling dish that's easy to make from scratch and better than any boxed mix. Throughout the years, Southerners have enjoyed cornbread in many different ways, from fritters to corn pone and spoon bread to hush puppies. Despite all of those options, many believe that the best Southern cornbread is baked in a cast-iron pan so it gets a crispy crust.

"Southern-style cornbread rarely contains sugar, though some regions and many people do like to sweeten their cornbread a bit. To add sugar or not can be a hot topic of debate, and it's an optional ingredient in this recipe. If you have Northerners and Southerners to cook for, you might have to look for compromise. Or make two pans!

"This cornbread recipe doesn't require buttermilk. It's richer than most because it's made with three eggs, and using a combination of cornmeal and flour ensures it won't get too dry or crumbly."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 24 minutes; Total Time: 39 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/southern-style-cornbread-3054179.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter

Directions

Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 425 F.

Put the shortening in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place in the oven to preheat while making the batter.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and butter.

Combine with dry ingredients and stir until all ingredients are moistened. The batter will be similar to a thick pancake batter.

Carefully, with heavy oven mitts, lift the skillet out of the oven and turn to coat the bottom and sides with the melted shortening.

Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet and return it to the oven.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until browned. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

Baking powder starts acting quickly, so have the oven preheated and the skillet ready before you combine the wet and dry ingredients. As soon as the batter is combined, pour it into the skillet and get it into the oven.

If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, a greased 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan may be substituted.

This same recipe can be used to make cornbread muffins. Be sure to grease and flour the muffin pan thoroughly.

Recipe Variations

Replace the sugar with honey or cane syrup if you like.

The salt may be reduced to 1 teaspoon.

Add 1 cup of well-drained, cooked corn kernels to the batter.

Brown about 1/2 pound of crumbled sausage in the skillet. Add the cornbread batter and bake. As soon as the cornbread comes out of the oven, run a knife around the edge to loosen and invert it onto a plate.

Add 1 to 2 cups of Mexican-style cheese and green chile peppers for Tex-Mex flavor.

What's the Difference Between Southern and Northern Cornbread?

It's difficult to generalize recipes because every cook has their own way of making popular dishes. However, there tend to be some regional preferences when it comes to cornbread. One of the most controversial is the sugar, though Northern cornbread also tends to be more cake-like and less crumbly because it uses more flour. Southern cornbread often skips the sugar, includes more cornmeal, and is baked in a piping hot cast-iron pan for that signature crispy crust on the bottom and sides.

What's the Best Fat to Grease the Skillet?

One key to great Southern cornbread is the fat that greases the skillet. Vegetable shortening is just one option. You can use the same amount of oil as long as it has a high smoke point that can handle the oven's temperature. Canola and vegetable oils are good choices. To give the cornbread even more flavor, use bacon grease (some people insist it's the only way to go):

Dice 3 or 4 strips of bacon and cook it in the skillet. Use 1 tablespoon of bacon grease instead of the oil or shortening and replace some of the butter with the rest. Add the cooked diced bacon to the batter, if you like.

Why Does Cornbread Get Crumbly?

Cornbread is inherently crumbly to some degree, particularly Southern-style cornbread. A few factors may produce really dry cornbread that simply falls apart, though. Over baking will dry it out, so be sure to check for doneness with a toothpick. Another consideration is if a recipe has too much cornmeal and not enough (or no) flour or eggs. Fortunately, this recipe includes those three elements in proportions that result in tender, not-too-crumbly cornbread.

IRISH WHOLE WHEAT SODA BREAD

This is from Diabetic Gourmet. Unfortunately, I no longer have a working link to it.

Yield: Makes 1 Round Loaf

Source: "America's Everyday Diabetes Cookbook"

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

In large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Add buttermilk all at once, stirring with a fork to make a soft, but slightly sticky dough.

With lightly floured hands, form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently for 8 to 10 times. Pat the dough into a 6-inch thick round, with a slightly flattened top.

Place dough on prepared baking sheet. With a shape knife or pizza cutter, score the top in the shape of a cross or large X. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from baking sheet onto cooling rack immediately. Dust top with rice flour. Serve warm from the oven.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/12 of loaf): Calories: 123, Carbohydrate: 25 g, Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 335 mg, Cholesterol: 1 mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch/Bread

APPLE STREUSEL MUFFINS

This comes from Vegetarian Times (May 2005 issue, page 94), in an article featuring Inn Serendipity in Browntown, WI. The recipes begins, "These delectable muffins are equally good served warm or at room temperature." Makes 12 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/apple-streusel-muffins/.

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter

Batter

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

5 Tbs. butter, melted

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 medium apple, peeled and finely chopped (3/4 cup)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 12 standard (1/3 cup) muffin cups, or spray with cooking spray.

To make Streusel Topping: Stir together oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut butter into small pieces, and rub it into oat-flour mixture until texture resembles granola. Set aside.

To make Batter: Stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in mixing bowl. Whisk together milk, butter, egg and vanilla in separate bowl. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until batter comes together. Stir in apple pieces. Spoon into muffin cups. Top each with a heaping tablespoon of streusel.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center of muffin in middle of pan comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then unmold muffins onto a wire cooling rack.

LOW-FAT APRICOT-PECAN MUFFINS

This comes from Vegetarian Times (May 2005 issue, page 81), and begins, "Apricots and pecans combined make positively yummy muffins, especially when served right out of the oven because the pecans taste best hot. These muffins keep well for up to 3 days and also freeze well. Makes 24 muffins."

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/low-fat-apricot-pecan-muffins/.

Ingredients

1 cup boiling water

1 1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup orange juice

2 large eggs, beaten, or 1/2 cup egg substitute

1/4 cup almond oil or canola oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with baking liners, or spray with cooking spray.

Pour water over apricots, and set aside to soften. When soft, remove from water.

Sift flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into bowl. Add pecans. Stir juice, eggs and oil into softened apricots. Add to dry ingredients, and mix just enough to moisten. Do not overmix. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Remove from oven, and serve hot.