Apple Ginger Cake

This is a feel good cake, perfect for tea time or sharing with friends. I love the warm ginger and how well it goes with all of the apple!

You will need:

• 2 c currants
• 1 c (~ 6 oz) dried apples, chopped
• Scant 1/4 c (~2 oz) crystallized ginger, chopped
• 1/2 c brandy or bourbon
• 2/3 c whole milk
• 1 c molasses
• 2 t baking soda
• 4 c flour
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 8 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 c toasted nuts, chopped (I used pecans)

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the currants, dried apple and crystallized ginger.
3. Warm the brandy or bourbon for 20 seconds in the microwave.
4. Stir the brandy into the dried fruits and set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the milk with the molasses and baking soda.
6. In another medium bowl, combine the flour with the cloves, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt.
7. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
8. Mix in the eggs.
9. Mix the milk mixture and the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating between the two.
10. Gently mix in the fruit and nuts.
11. Pour into the prepared pan.
12. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil, tightly crimped around the edges of the pan.
13. Set the pan in a deep roasting pan.
14. Add boiling water to the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the bundt pan.
15. Bake for approximately 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
16. Remove the Bundt pan from the water and allow to cool for 20 minutes before inverting onto a plate
17. Serve warm in slices with some whipped cream.

Cinnamon Monkey Bread

This cinnamon monkey bread is scrumptious! My kids kept calling it doughnut cake, but either way it was gone before we could lick our fingers clean. It’s also simple with only  5 ingredients and a perfect recipe for kids to help prep. We served for a holiday brunch treat along with fresh berries and whipped cream.

You will need:

• ~20 oz buttermilk biscuit dough (I used Pillsbury homestyle), cut into quarters
• 1 c sugar
• 2 T ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 8 T unsalted butter, melted

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan.
2. In a gallon Ziploc bag, combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Add the biscuit pieces to the bag.
4. Close the bag and toss to coat the biscuit pieces.
5. Spread the biscuit pieces in the prepared pan.
6. In a small bowl, mix together any leftover sugar with the melted butter.
7. Pour the butter mixture over the biscuit pieces.
8. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
9. Remove from the oven and wait 5 minutes, before you invert the monkey bread onto a plate.
10. Allow to cool at least another 5 minutes before serving, as the caramel sauce will be very hot.

Buttermilk Banana Bread

We usually have bananas in the house, and we all love banana bread. We had some extra buttermilk that we needed to use, and voilá! The result was a bit hit with the whole family and some friends that were visiting.

You will need:

• 2/3 c brown sugar
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1/2 c butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 c buttermilk
• 2 t ground cinnamon
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c old-fashioned oats
• 1 c chopped nuts (I suggest pecans or walnuts)

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the sugars with the butter.
3. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda and baking powder.
4. Stir in the mashed banana.
5. Mix in the flour, oats and nuts.
6. Spread in the loaf pan.
7. Bake 60-75 minutes, or until golden and a tester in the middle comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before removing and cooling on a rack.