beer bread with pears

beer bread is super easy, since the yeast in beer is yeasty enough to make the bread rise.  this recipe is a great way to use up really ripe fruit or a beer that you took a chance on and hate.  in my case, it was a Blue Moon Caramel Apple Spice beer and a dying pear.  I've made regular ol' beer bread with this recipe in the past (and an oatmeal stout beer) and liked it, so I thought I'd toy with it.  the result was pretty good - not really sweet, but not really savory.  next time, I'd probably bump up the amount of sugar a bit, add some vanilla, and try adding more fruit if I have it.

beer bread with pears
active time: 5 minutes | cook time: 60 minutes  |  yields: one loaf (6 to 8 slices)
adapted from here
ingredients
3 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder - omit if using Self-Rising Flour
1 teaspoon salt - omit if using Self-Rising Flour
1/4 cup sugar (next time: bump up to 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
(next time: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla)
1 (12 ounce) can/bottle beer
1 chopped pear or apple
1/4 cup melted butter

directions
preheat oven to 375 F degrees.  

mix dry ingredients and beer.  add a little water, if necessary, to get everything all mixed.

mix in chopped fruit.

pour into a greased loaf pan.

pour melted butter over mixture.  sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired.

bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

notes
- pouring butter over top before baking creates a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. alternatively, mixing the melted butter into the dough results in a softer crust.
- you can omit the sweet stuff to make a savory bread.
- try using rosemary and lemon juice or oregano or other dried herbs/spices instead of the sweet stuff.

horrible photo courtesy of my cell phone.  deal with it.

rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins

we tend to overbuy bananas.  so we get ambitious, whatever.  at 19¢ apiece, I don't let 'em go to waste.  this is a tweak of one of my previously-posted recipes.  there's booze in this, so I'm obviously pleased.


rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins
adapted from here and adding a twist to my own concoction born here
prep time: 20 minutes |  cook time: 18-20 minutes  |  yields: 18 muffins

ingredients for rum-roasted bananas:

3 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons dark rum


ingredients for muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (from above)


directions for rum-roasted bananas:
preheat oven to 350 degrees F. peel the bananas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet.  sprinkle with brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and rum.  wrap loosely (but securely, or you'll get a mess!) and roast in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.  allow to cool.


note: do yourself a favor here and spoon into a little dish all the goop that the 'nanas'll be swimming in.  use it as a topping right when you serve these muffins and you'll be cooler than an American Gladiator in the mid-90s.  it doesn't appear to set up/harden much, so it probably isn't the best to use for muffins to be stored.


directions for the muffins:
while bananas cool, crank oven heat up to 400 degrees F.


combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.


in a separate small bowl, mash bananas.


in a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly. stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. stir the flour mixture into the banana/cherry mixture until just combined.


line muffin tin(s) with paper liners or spray a silicon muffin tin with non-stick spray.  fill tins approximately 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.  turn out onto wire rack for cooling.


optional
before baking, top with toasted chopped nuts and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  pick up tin and drop onto flat surface to help nuts/sugar really stick to the batter.

banana oatmeal muffins with roasted cherries

I had some bananas that needed using.  isn't that always why we make banana bread/muffins/anythings?!  like, I've never walked into a store with 'old brown bananas' on my shopping list.  anyways, I also had a handful of cherries lying around, so I worked those bad boys in, too.  on to the good stuff...these came out really moist and are reasonably healthy since they're oil-free.


banana oatmeal muffins with roasted cherries
adapted from here and here
prep time: 20 minutes |  cook time: 18-20 minutes  |  yields: 18 muffins
ingredients

1 cup cherries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas


directions
preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  halve/pit the cherries and place them cut-side-up in a foil-lined pan.  sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar and roast for about 10 minutes, or until they begin to release their juices.  


drop the heat down to 400 degrees F and allow the roasted cherries to cool slightly while preparing remaining ingredients.


combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.


in a separate small bowl, mash bananas and roasted cherries.  (alternative: if you'd rather have chunks of cherries throughout the muffins, chop them roughly and toss 'em into the dry ingredient mixture listed above.  then, proceed as directed below.  a coat of dry ingredients will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the tins when baking.)  


in a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly. stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. stir the flour mixture into the banana/cherry mixture until just combined.  


line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray a silicon muffin tin with non-stick spray.  fill tins approximately 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes.  turn out onto wire rack for cooling.


optional
before baking, top with toasted chopped nuts and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  pick up tin and drop onto flat surface to help nuts/sugar really stick to the batter.

(r) roasted cherry chunk (l) topped with dry roasted pecans