Clementine Quick Bread

My family and I have been addicted to clementines lately and we always have them around for a quick snack.  But sometimes, after opening a new bag, I wonder why they give you so many?  Even if your family doesn't have a hard time finishing them all, you may be looking for a fun new way to use them.  And I have your answer!  

A simple and sweet light bread that is great for breakfast with a little butter (or plain) or as a after school snack.  My kiddos loved it!  I make banana bread so often that I think they were happy for the change.  

I love the bright orange flecks of zest throughout.  And the glaze makes the bread just a touch sweeter and keeps it very moist.  Sprinkle with a dusting of confectioner's sugar and your family or guests are sure to be wowed!  

 Makes 1 loaf

Clementine Quick Bread

8 clementines (zest from 4 and juice from all 8)
3/4 cup half & half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Zest 4 clementines to yield 1 tablespoon zest.  Juice the zested and unzested (8 total) clementines to yield 3/4 cup juice - separate into 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup measurements.

Combine 1/4 cup clementine juice, half & half and vanilla extract in a small bowl, set aside.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a another bowl and set aside.

Beat zest, butter and sugar with a mixer until combined, about 4 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Beat in cream mixture, followed by flour mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Check at 40 minutes and tent with foil if top is browning too quickly.

Make the glaze by combining the remaining 1/2 cup of juice with the confectioner's sugar.  Remove pan from oven, poke holes in the top with a skewer and apply half the glaze.  Let cool for 15 minutes, then invert pan onto a wire cooling wrack, top side up.  Brush remaining glaze on top.

Store wrapped at room temperature overnight or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

(Source:  Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Chocolate Chip Pecan Banana Bread

We're heading on vacation tomorrow and this recipe was me trying to use up items that were sure to go bad - well, actually just the bananas but I threw in the chocolate chips and pecans for good measure.

  

I also was running low on sugar so I decided to throw in a little brown sugar to substitute.  I really liked it actually, it's a different kind of sweetness.  So, if my family is reading...yes I am bringing these to the beach!! 

Yields 2 loaves

Chocolate Chip Pecan Banana Bread 

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 cups of flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup buttermilk

6 bananas, mashed with a fork

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using an electric mixer, combine the oil and sugar.  Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and add to sugar mixture.  Add remaining ingredients: mix well.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.  Pour into 2 well greased loaf pans and bake for 50-55 minutes (start checking at 45 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
   

Honey Butter

We go to Emerald Isle, North Carolina for our beach vacation almost every year and one of my absolute favorite treats is getting the honey butter croissants at one of the local restaurants.  Totally addicting.  

I was making brunch for my visiting in-laws and decided to try my hand at making some honey butter for our biscuits.  It was a hit - an equally as addicting as the croissants from the restaurant!   

Super creamy with just the right touch of sweetness.  I've been using it all week on my toast!  It's almost too easy to make - you'll want to have this in your fridge at all times, believe me...

Honey Butter

1/2 cup room temperature butter
3 tablespoons honey

Stir the 2 ingredients together until it is smooth and the honey is well incorporated.  Serve at room temperature on your favorite roll, biscuit or croissant.

Breakfast Pizza

My in-laws were visiting over Easter weekend (also my husband's birthday!) and because they were leaving on Easter Sunday to head back to Pennsylvania, we decided to put a brunch together rather than do a whole big dinner.  We had fruit, cinnamon rolls, mimosa's and this delicious breakfast casserole, which is way more like a pizza than a casserole.

I threw it together in a matter of minutes, they only thing I had to cook was the sausage...and I use the word "cook" lightly because, Jimmy Dean makes these sausage crumbles that are already cooked and just need heated through.  And it's turkey sausage, too!  I browned the turkey sausage and threw that, the cheese and tomatoes all on top of the crust (crescent rolls) and baked it until it the eggs were set and the crust was puffy and golden brown.  We sliced it into squares and ate it with our hands, just like a pizza.  

I can only imagine all the goodies that you could throw into this.  I mean, just think about what you like in an omelette...peppers, mushrooms, ham?  This is a whatever you like, that's how you make it type dish.  I hope you'll try it your way and let me know!    

 12 - 16 slices

Breakfast Pizza

1 package of crescent rolls

1 1/2 cups cooked crumbled sausage

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

5 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Unroll the crescent rolls onto a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet and press down to close the seams.  Top with the cooked, crumbled sausage, tomatoes and cheese.  Whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until combined and pour over the top of the casserole.

Bake 15-20 minutes until the eggs are set and the crescent roll crust is golden brown.  Cut into squares and serve.  

(Source:  Adapted from Bran Appetit!)