One of The Most Decadent Quick Breads I Have Ever Made

Oh my! Ever had a craving for chocolate? Well this should do the trick for satisfying that sweet tooth. There is just something  luscious about a well baked quick bread. My mom used to make quick breads all the time and when I was a kid in 4-H I was always trying new recipes to enter in the county fair. I remember making anorange cranberry bread that was pretty darned good, if I say so myself, but I bet this recipe would have been a blue ribbon winner for sure.

The balance of cocoa and sweetness is perfect and it literally just melts in your mouth from the very first taste.

In fact you might want to go ahead and make a double batch of this recipe because I will guarantee you that one loaf is going to disappear so quickly you might even start a riot.

This is what Mel of Mels Kitchen Café has to say about this amazingly delicious recipe.

Simple as simple can be, this bread is exactly what a quick bread should be: quick and extremely non-fussy.

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Quick Tip:  Try this toasted with a thin layer of softened cream cheese on top. You can thank me later.

Image and recipe courtesy of Mel at Mel’s Kitchen Café

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Perfect Fall Dessert and So Easy To Make

I love fall time. Pulling out favorite sweaters, starting a fire in the fireplace, and eating lots of comfort foot. This classic apple dessert is among my very favorite fall recipes. It combines apples, caramel and oats. Our neighbors had an apple tree and I loved getting apples from her. One year the tree was so full of apples that she told everyone she knew if they wanted apples they should come and get them before the deer ate them up. I made sure to head over and Could not believe how the branches were just drooping under the weight of all the fruit.

Since we lived in the Sierra mountains, the apples needed to be a variety that could withstand frost. They were Arkansas Blacks, and let me tell you, those apples were so hard it was almost impossible to take a bite out of them. Not like the Pink Lady of Honey Crisp Apples. These were super hard and kind of tart, but they made the best pies and crisps. They might have taken a little extra work but we ended up gathering about 2 laundry baskets full!

This is what Lauren has to say about her Applicious dessert.

“My traditional apple crisp recipe has received rave reviews, and this Caramel Pecan Apple Crisp takes my old favorite to a whole new level! “

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Quick Tip: Want to add a bit of holiday flare? Toss a handful of fresh cranberries into the apple filling.

Image and recipe courtesy of Lauren from Tastes Better From Scratch.

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Bring On The Chili Weather!  Pun Intended

What is a busy mom to do when dinner time rolls around and EVERYONE is hungry? Well, try this dish and watch your family eat it up. I love a hearty meal that you can create in a hurry and with simple, yet hardy ingredients. Really, it comes down to just taking a few moments to sauté the onions and fresh garlic before adding in the carrots, browning the beef and adding the pinto beans. Really, this is the perfect comfort dish that reminds me of my husband’s favorite food. Chili beans and cornbread. Seriously, he could eat it every week if I made it for him. The fact that this cornbread is baked right on top means no more dry cornbread for my family!  I love the fact that this is cooked in one dish, which means the clean-up is fairly minimal.  So, whether you are looking to take something to a cabin or just want a hearty Game Day Dinner, this Cornbread Chili Pie is a perfect dish.

And for more of a Southwest flavor go ahead and add in some diced fire roasted hatch chilis and a can of corn.  That really helps to stretch this dish out and if you are lucky, you might even have some for left overs.

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Quick Tip: Want to make this for a crowd? Go ahead and divide into individual ramekins with a dollop of sour cream and sprig of cilantro on top.

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

Image courtesy of Jonathan Lovekin

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Ohh Baby, You Are On a Roll. This Pumpkin Dessert Is Addictive

Ohh my goodness! Fall is here and the thought of sipping on hot apple cider with a dash of fresh nutmeg, watching football, and enjoying the cooler weather makes me want to jump into a pile of freshly raked leaves! But the really awesome thing worth FALLing for is this amazing recipe. I have to admit, I had never tried making a roll before.

Sure, I would oh and awe over magazines with pictures of pumpkin rolls, but the thought of actually making one seemed like so much work and something that might only be successful in a “test kitchen”.

I actually read the directions three times just to make sure I understood what I needed to do. The “Roll up in a powdered sugar tea towel kind of stumped me at first. When I rolled up the cake with the filling and it came out perfect I realized the wisdom in letting it cool like that.

Later when I watched a baking show I noticed that several of the contestants just rolled up the cake with the filling after it cooled. Unfortunately, the cake cracked. This method helps you achieve bakery perfection with your very first attempt.

This is what Marci says about this dessert recipe.

-This year I took the challenge. My only thought after finishing up the project was “What took me so long to try it!”

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Quick Tip: You can buy canned pumpkin puree or get a little crazy and make your own from fresh baking pumpkins.

Recipe and image courtesy of Marci at MarciSeither.com

The post I Never Thought I could Make Something This Amazing, But It Was Easier Than I Thought appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Surprise Your Co-Workers With These Fun Brownies

My parents used to love to host Halloween parties when we were kids. My mom used to make a big stock pot of homemade root beer and you know what they used to carbonate the drink. Dry Ice! How perfect is that? And the other thing I loved growing up were all the fun outfits my mom would make. One year I was the good fairy from Pinocchio. One year I was a bumble bee and one year I dressed up as a Jack in the Box.

I loved it when we had kids and I could dress them up in fun outfits as well. They were so hilarious. For a few years I told our kids that Halloween was all about dressing up so they could hand out candy to people who can to the door dressed up. After a few years, they caught on that they should be the ones going door to door. Then they figured out if they sung “Trick or Treat” in three part harmony they would get twice as much candy. Brilliant! If only they applied that level of genius to cleaning their rooms!

Even though we have moved beyond dressing up, I still love making fun treats for my family. Thankfully three part harmony is totally optional.

This is what Melissa of Persnickety Plates has to say about this treat.

“Halloween Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies have a layer of rich, dark chocolate brownie topped with a layer of orange cheesecake then swirled together for a spooky treat.”

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Quick tip. I just saw some supper cute Halloween sprinkles that would be adorable on top.

Recipe and image courtesy of Melissa of Persnickety Plates

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Buttermilk Biscuits to Warm Up you in the Morning

When I saw that Julia, Julia was coming out I could not wait. I absolutely love Nora Ephron and was excited to see how she blended the two stories together. I was not disappointed. As much as I love Nora Ephron who produced such classics like the movie  You’ve Got Mail, I absolutely adore Julia Childs. If you haven’t read My Life In France that Julia wrote with her nephew, run, don’t walk to your nearest bookstore of library and get it.  The book really captured all the things that people love about that great American legend.

Did you know Julia didn’t know how to cook at all when she was first engaged to be married to the love of her life, Paul Childs? She took classes so she would be able to tackle basic homemaking skills. It wasn’t until she became bored with learning how to make hats and play bridge during their time in France that Julia decided to take a culinary class, because the one thing she knew she had a passion for was eating! After enrolling in the class for housewives she decided she need more of a challenge and moved to the next level. I love that about her. She was willing to roll up her sleeves and learn something new. She never gave up. She was passionate and persistent in all that she did and she never forgot the basics. Like this simple recipe for biscuits.

This is what Susie said about the recipe she submitted to the Food Network.

“This is one of the first recipes I made by Julia Child and I still use it often. I like using these for a brunch or stuffed with ham & cheese for breakfast on the go.”

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Quick Tip: These are perfect for egg breakfast sandwiches, but you can add a little fresh parmesan cheese and serve with potato soup!

Recipe and courtesy of Food.com

The post Savory Chive Buttermilk Biscuits: Breakfast Recipe appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

When Opened My Aunt’s Cookbook, This Was The First Recipe I Turned To

I am a huge coconut fan. Since my dad never really cared for coconut and one of my sons ins’t a big fan of it either I tend to shy away from making anything with coconut in it.

But you know what?  Sometimes you just have to give in to your cravings and treat yourself. I have a group of friends that meet every year.

We lovingly refer to ourselves as the Sycamore Sisters since we all met at a writers retreat and room together in the Sycamore cabin. During the day we are busy taking classes or meeting with editors but at night, we get into our PJ’s and have a regular gab fest that involves a lot of snacks, talking, and so much laughing I am pretty sure we have developed quite a reputation for late night raucous.

We have also had several years of getting to know each other, our families. We have helped each other grow as writers, and been there for each other in the disappointing times as well. This year I am going to bring something special to snack on. I am making up a batch of these yummy bars to share with those who have made my life sweeter.

This is what Anna has to say about her recipe.

“These bars were disappearing fast right before my eyes. My Hubby, who is not a coconut fan at all, declared these to be absolutely amazing. He loves cheesecake as much as I do, but he actually really loved these! That says a lot!”

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Quick Tip: To add just a bit of color, drizzle a little dark chocolate on top.

Recipe and image courtesy of Anna at Crunchy Creamy Sweet

The post Ready For Something Heavenly? Make These And You Will Hear Angels Singing! appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

I Couldn’t Believe My Eyes When I saw My Grandmother Pull This From The Oven

I just can’t get enough of baked apples! Anything with baked apples, oats, and cinnamon just reminds me of fall. It is my favorite kind of comfort food and I never get tired of it.. EVER! I know this recipe is supposed to be for a dessert, but with all the apples, eggs, and oats it should count for a breakfast food! Because seriously when I smelled this baking in the oven the last thing I wanted to do was wait until after dinner. I was ready to just grab a fork and cut myself a big piece.

My Great Grandma Upton would have loved this recipe. She cooked a lot of her meals in a cast iron skillet that looked like it could have weighed as much as she did. It had been seasoned from years of use and she was careful to make sure to clean it up and dry it before putting it back in her oven where she kept it.

I love this recipe because it really isn’t a pie or a cake, but can be sliced up in wedges and served with a dollop of Cool-whip, whipping cream, or even a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Go ahead and serve this right from the skillet onto the plates. That is exactly what my Great Grandmother would have done as well.

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Quick Tip: Make sure you get good baking apple for this dessert. I love Pink Lady and Honey Crisp, but your just can’t go wrong with Granny Smith. And I don’t peel my apples when I bake them. I use the apples skins and all!

Recipe and Image courtesy of Taste of Home.

The post Nothing Says Fall Like The Smell of Baked Apples And Caramel appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Banana Cream Cheese Bread for Breakfast!

I love making small loaves of quick bread. Especially when I have some ripe bananas that need to be used. I have baked a dozens upon dozens of loaves of banana bread from a recipe I got from my sister in law, Barb. Trust me, anything that Barb makes is amazingly awesome. There have been times when I have made 4 loaves at a time because you have to bake these breads for up to an hour and I hate heating up the house for something that is going to be eaten before it is even fully cooled off.

The other day I had a coupon for Michael’s and decided to go ahead and get the mini loaf pan I have had my eyes on. Every time I walk by the baking isle I just can’t get over how adorable the little loaves and so finally I caved and bought it. I was going to bake my usual banana bread recipe but then I saw this! Banana bread with a baked in cream cheese layer? Wowza! My sister in law if going to be shocked when she slices into a loaf of this! And think of how beautiful it will look on a plate of baked goods at your next coffee time with friends.

This is what Averie of Averie Cooks has to say about her yummy recipe.

“The bread is soft, moist and the cream cheese layer is like having a layer of cheesecake baked into banana bread. No complaints here.”

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Quick tip: Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Recipe and images courtesy of Averie of Averie Cooks.

The post Smells Yummy in the Kitchen with this Banana Cream Cheese Bread appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Grab Four Favorite Sweater And Cozy Up TO This Cupcake

I grew up not far from a place called Apple Hill. I love anything made with apples and that includes apple butter. My oldest son is a huge lover of the brown spicy apple goodness. I think it was from remembering how the house smelled when I would have a huge crock-pot of peeled, sliced, and cooking apples mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg. I used to cook it for about three days. The house smelled so amazing! The taste was even more incredible.

Nathan asked if he brought me the apples me would I make apple butter. I totally agreed. At the time Nathan was working for a man with a few trees. . He told Nathan he could have as many apples as he wanted if he picked them.  Later that day I came into the house to find 4 laundry baskets of apples. Let’s just say we ate a lot of apple butter that year: ~D

This is what Nicole has to say about her recipe.

“Spiced Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting are the perfect Fall dessert! This easy recipe is great for parties and meals. A very special secret ingredient adds a blast of flavor!”

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Quick Tip: You can also make this recipe into 2 8 inch round cake pans for a layered cake. I think that is what I want for my birthday!

Recipe and image courtesy of Nicole at Wonky Wonderful

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