Ingredient: orange marmalade

Mincemeat Quick Bread w/ Orange Butter

I just can’t resist fitting a bit of fruit mincemeat into my Christmas baking, so this year it comes in a quick bread. Quick breads cover a wide range, from biscuits and scones, which are made from a dough, to muffins and loaves that are made from a batter. They can be large or small, savory or sweet. The major thing that identifies them is the fact that they are, as their name implies, quick to make.

Quick breads have evolved as a distinctly different tradition after the introduction of baking powder in 1850. Before that, breads and cakes were leavened with yeast.

These breads come in all shapes and sizes. Even though they are called breads, lets be clear, they are a cake of sorts. Some breads are light and airy, others are hearty and dense. The ingredients used will greatly affect the final volume and texture. Oats gives breads a somewhat dense and chewy texture. Sugar helps to keep breads tender and without salt will taste flat.

The basic way to prepare a quick bread is the two-bowl method. This entails mixing all dry ingredients separately from the liquid and sugar, then quickly combining the two with only a few strokes. The idea is to not overmix or overbake.

If you like mincemeat, this loaf is so nice to have on hand during the Christmas season.

Print Recipe
 Mincemeat Quick Bread w/ Orange Spread
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Bread
Orange Butter
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Bread
Orange Butter
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Bread
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 4 1/2-cup ring mold pan or bottom only of a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, beat eggs; stir in mincemeat, brown sugar, milk & butter.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together flour baking powder & salt. Add to wet mixture, combining ONLY until flour mixture is moistened. Pour into chosen baking pan
  4. Bake about 45-50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven & cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.
  5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you wish. Serve warm or cool with Orange Butter.
Orange Butter
  1. In a small bowl, beat marmalade with butter until softened & blended.

Sweet Potato & Clementine Loaf Cake

Vegetables may seem like unusual ingredients to use in baked goods, but this style of cooking is actually the perfect combination of savory comfort and earthy, wholesome flavor.

I know this isn’t a new concept. We have all eaten our fair share of zucchini bread and carrot cake but if you haven’t tried using sweet potato in baking, you should.

The naturally sweet, super-creamy ingredient can go way beyond the classic Thanksgiving casserole dish. Sweet or savory, sweet potatoes are versatile magic-makers. Not only will they add a pop of color but they can reduce the need for some of the expected flour, eggs and/or sugar as well as help in retaining moisture to keep baking from drying out.

In this loaf cake, I paired the sweet potato with some clementine orange, resulting in a real nice flavor!

Print Recipe
 Sweet Potato & Clementine Loaf Cake
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword sweet potato & orange loaf cake
Servings
Ingredients
Candied Clementines
Cake
Glaze
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword sweet potato & orange loaf cake
Servings
Ingredients
Candied Clementines
Cake
Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Candied Clementine
  1. Thinly slice clementine orange into 1/4-inch rounds. Remove any seeds. Boil sugar & water in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, then carefully add slices. Simmer until slices look slightly translucent, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; lay candied slices on a wire rack & reserve syrup for cake batter.
Cake
  1. Prick unpeeled small sweet potato several times with a fork. Microwave on high until tender, turning halfway through, 5-8 minutes. Allow to cool about 20 minutes. Cut in half & scoop into a small bowl. Mash until smooth. Reserve 1/3 cup for cake. The rest can be used for something else or eaten as is.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line or spray a 9 X 5-inch loaf pan.
  3. Rub 1/2 cup sugar & orange zest in a medium bowl with your hands to release natural oils. Whisk in flour, baking powder & salt.
  4. In large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, 1/3 cup mashed sweet potato, orange juice & reserved candied clementine syrup. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Scrape into prepared loaf pan & smooth top.
  5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until tests done. Cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly. Allow loaf to cool for 10 minutes in pan; remove to a rack to cool completely.
Glaze
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, marmalade & lemon juice. Brush loaf with glaze, then decorate with candied clementine slices.
Recipe Notes
  • Clementine rind is a little to bitter for our liking so I just removed it after it was candied & used the flesh.