Loafing around: this week’s quick bread recipes

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, January 13, 2004

Chocolate banana tea loaves

3/4cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; plus more for smearing in loaf pans

1 1/4cups unbleached all-purpose flour; plus more for dusting loaf pans

3/4cup cocoa powder

1 1/2teaspoons baking soda

3/4teaspoon salt

1 1/2cups sugar

3large eggs, lightly beaten

6very ripe bananas, mashed

1cup cold sour cream

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Smear two 5-inch-by-9-inch loaf pans with butter and dust them lightly with flour.

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a separate, larger bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, using the whisk attachment of electric mixer on high speed (or a sturdy wire whisk), until the mixture is creamy and fluffy and a light lemon-yellow in color.

With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs. Add the bananas, and continue mixing at low speed until all are completely incorporated into the batter.

Stir half of the sour cream into the wet ingredients with the paddle attachment of the mixer (or with a wooden spoon). Fold in half the dry ingredients. Repeat until all the ingredients are combined and not a trace of flour remains.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Make sure to divide the batter equally.

Place the loaf pans side by side on the center rack in the oven, and bake for 70 to 75 minutes. When the loaves are ready to come out of the oven, they will have split on top and pulled away from the sides of the pans.

Remove the loaves from the oven, and set them on a wire rack for a few minutes until cool enough to touch.

To remove each loaf, place the rack over the top of the pan and quickly flip the pan so the loaf falls onto the rack. Allow to cool a bit before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes two 5-inch-by-9-inch loaves.

From “Once Upon a Tart: Soups, Salads and More” ($27.50)

Oatmeal-raisin bread

1 1/2cups all-purpose flour

1cup quick-cooking rolled oats

2/3cup golden raisins or a mixture of golden raisins and dried cherries

3/4cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

1 1/2teaspoons baking powder

1teaspoon baking soda

1/2teaspoon salt

1 1/2teaspoons cinnamon

1/2teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4teaspoon ground allspice

2large eggs, beaten

1/3cup almond oil or canola oil

3/4cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2cup buttermilk

1-2tablespoons firmly packed light-brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch-by-5 inch loaf pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, oats, raisins, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, oil, applesauce and buttermilk. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle evenly with the 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar.

Bake until the top is well-browned and firm and the loaf begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 40 to 50 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the loaf onto the rack. Serve at room temperature, cut into thick slices.

Makes one 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf.

From “Muffins,” in the Williams-Sonoma collection

Tangerine and <

carrot bread

3cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2teaspoons baking soda

1/4teaspoon salt

2teaspoons ground cinnamon

4eggs

2cups sugar

1cup vegetable oil

1teaspoon vanilla extract

2tablespoons tangerine juice (or orange juice, if tangerines are not in season)

grated zest of 1 tangerine (or orange)

2cups finely grated raw carrots

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick and light-colored. Add oil gradually and beat hard until doubled in volume. Add vanilla, tangerine juice and zest. Fold in grated carrots.

Stir dry ingredients into wet until smooth and well combined.

Turn batter into two greased 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pans, filling no more than two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let stand in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight before slicing.

Makes two 9-inch-by-5-inch loaves.

From “Bread,” by Beth Hensperger