My mom Dorothy, my daughter Brittany and I would always go to the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle during the Christmas holidays and have tea with lovely delicate china and three-tiered china servers arranged with beautiful tea sandwiches, tea breads, scones, lemon curd, and all sorts of wonderful delicacies. Tea breads or quick breads are easy to prepare and make great gifts for neighbors, friends, etc,, during the Christmas season or any time.
Another beautiful place we've had afternoon tea is the Empress Hotel is Victoria, B.C. overlooking Victoria's sparkling Inner Harbour. This hotel is steeped in tradition and has been serving afternoon tea for over a century. The lobby of the Empress is majestic with opulent surroundings. They even have their own "secret blend" of tea made just for them. Enjoy freshly baked scones served with strawberry jam and empress cream. Delicate sandwiches such as; smoked salmon, chicken salad and egg salad. Pastries; battenberg cake, lemon curd and berry tarts, rose petal shortbread just to name a few and fresh seasonal fruit.
Tea breads or quick breads are bread which is leavened with baking powder or cream of tarter. Unlike yeast breads which takes hours to rise, tea breads are quick and easy. Most tea/quick breads have basically five ingredients; flour, baking powder and/or soda, eggs, butter and milk. Everything else added is for flavor and texture.
I hope you enjoy the tea/quick breads below and remember, you can always use smaller baking pans instead of a 9x5 loaf pan, just be sure to adjust your cooking times as smaller pans take less time to bake.
Cherry Almond Bread
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup, plus 2 Tbl. sliced almonds
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup, plus 1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup butter, soft
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup canned, pitted sour cherries, drained and coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 cup almonds.
In large bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar and butter. Add eggs and stir to combine well. Stir in buttermilk and almond extract. Add flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Gently stir in cherries. Spoon into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbl. almonds and 1 tsp. sugar. Press lightly into dough. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool loaf on rack for 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. If desired you can drizzle top with a mixture of powdered sugar, almond extract and a little milk until drizzling consistency.
Orange Nut Bread
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 Tbl. orange zest
2 Tbl. orange juice
4 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup Macadamia nuts, chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
In mixer bowl, cream butter and add sugar. Beat in orange zest and orange juice. Beat in one egg at a time, mixing well between each addition. Stir flour and baking powder together and all to cream mixture, then add nuts. Add chips if desired. Pour into lightly greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 and bake 10 minutes longer. Remove to cooling rack.
Blueberry Banana Bread
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup bananas, mashed
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tsp. lemon zest
In a mixer bowl, cream shortening, add sugar gradually beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Mix in banana and zest. In another bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to wet mixture until just combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour batter into 9x5 greased and sugared loaf pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes then remove.
Date Nut Bread
1 1/2 cups dates, chopped
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbl. shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. cream of tarter
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add dates to a bowl and pour boiling water over. Add sugar, shortening and salt. When cool; add egg and flour which you have sifted with soda and cream of tarter. Add nuts and vanilla; beating well. Pour into 9x5 greased loaf pan and bake 55 to 65 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.
Pumpkin Spice Bread
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 tsp. fresh nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional, but my favorite)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients; then mix in wet ingredients and incorporate until well blended. Add either of the optional ingredients if desired or a mixture of them. Pour into two 9x5 well greased loaf pans and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to cooling racks.
Fall Harvest Apple Bread
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup crisp/sweet apple, peeled and finely diced
1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tsp. each cinnamon and sugar mixed together
2 pats of butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift dry ingredients. Combine melted butter and sugar; stir until well blended. Add eggs, applesauce, apples, cheese and nuts. Stir in dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon into 9x5 greased loaf pan. Bake 50 minutes or until pick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and place butter pats on top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Return to oven for 8 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.
Orange Date Nut Bread
1-2 orange(s), juiced to make 1 cup
1 cup dates, chopped
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp. soda
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. melted butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
In a bowl; mix baking soda, sugar, melted butter, vanilla. In another bowl, blend eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Combine all ingredients together and stir in chopped nuts. Place in a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until pick inserted comes out clean. Remove to cooling rack.
Delicious Cranberry Orange Bread
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cups walnuts, chopped
zest from 2 oranges
3 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil
In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. Add walnuts, orange zest, cranberries and juice. Beat together eggs, buttermilk and oil. Add to batter and pour into greased and floured 9x5 loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Remove to cooling rack and let cool in pan.
Chocolate Orange Bread with Glaze
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa (good quality)
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. orange extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl, combine applesauce, shortening, eggs, water, extract, zest and sugar, beat on low for about 30 seconds. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl and add to applesauce mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds, the beat on high for 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased and floured 9x5 loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes and remove from pan.
Glaze - optional
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tbl. butter
2 to 3 Tbl. half and half
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. vanilla or orange extract
pinch of salt
In a heavy saucepan, melt chips and butter; stir in cream. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar, extract of choice and salt, mixing well. Drizzle over cool bread if desired.
Lovely Lavender Bread
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbl. dried culinary lavender
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbl. butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. lemon extract
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. In a saucepan, heat milk with lavender to almost boiling, then steep until cool. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt together. In another bowl, cream butter and gradually add sugar, then beat in eggs on at a time, beating until light and fluffy, add extract. Add flour mixture alternating with lavender milk in three parts. Mix until batter is just blended and do not overbeat. Pour into pan and bake for 50 minutes or until pick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes then remove to wire rack. When cool, dust with sifted powdered sugar.
Peachy Bread
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tbl. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and chopped or use frozen, but thaw well
1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In another bowl, combine peaches and lemon juice. In another bowl, combine oil, milk , eggs and vanilla extract. Add oil mixture to flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Fold in peaches. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove to cooling rack.
The next two breads are my favorite, because they are lemon and lime breads, simply delicious
Lovely Lemony Lemon Bread with Lemon Glaze - lots of lemon goodness - say that 3 times
1 large lemon
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, soft
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp. poppy seeds (optional)
First off, zest the lemons to equal 1 Tbl. of zest. Squeeze the juice to get 2 Tbl. juice. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 9x5 loaf pans. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt together. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter, 2 cups sugar and zest until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until incorporated. With mixer on low, add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches beginning and ending with flour until well combined. Beat in poppy seeds if desired and lemon juice. Bake loaves about 60 minutes or until pick inserted comes out clean. Remove to cooling rack for 10 minutes and then turn out. Make glaze and spread over breads.
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl. lemon zest
Mix together until blended and drizzle over breads
Luscious Lime Bread with Cream Cheese Lime Spread
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp. lime zest
3 Tbl. fresh lime juice
1 Tbl. sugar
Spread
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, soft
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x5 loaf pan and lightly flour. In a bowl, mix flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, mix egg, buttermilk, oil, lime zest and 2 Tbl. lime juice until well blended. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir until moistened. Pour into pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove pan to cooling rack. Mix 1 Tbl. lime juice and 1 Tbl. sugar together and brush over top of warmed bread. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes then remove to cooling rack. To make spread; whip cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in lime juice and zest. When bread is cooled, slice a piece, spread with cream cheese mixture.
Now for the Proper Cup of Tea - I wish we could sit down together and have a cup of tea, but since we can't when you have this one, I hope you think of me.
First thing is making sure the tea pot is nice and hot before you start, so pour some hot water into tea pot. Loose tea or a bag? Loose tea always tastes better, but you can use a good quality tea bag. The important factor is the type of tea you choose, look for good aroma and nice looking leaves. For loose tea, use one teaspoon of leaves per person and one extra one for the pot. If using a tea pot, pour out hot water, add tea bag or loose tea and pour boiling water over to steep. When tea is stepped and ready, pour it into the cup through a wire strainer if using loose tea. Weather you choose to add cream or sugar is your choice. I have heard that using honey is a social blunder; but then again I like it and use it anyway with a slice of lemon. Just sit back, sip your tea, enjoy your tea bread and relax.
Bon Appetit
"Who ever desires, let him take the water of life freely"
Rev. 22:17b
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