Pear Bread

As you have probably been able to figure out, my true passion for food lies on the sweet side of the kitchen.  Although I am confident in my savory cooking abilities, an extra splurge of creativity and excitement arrives when I am baking.

One of my favorite things to make and to eat is banana bread.  Over the years, through much trial and error, I think I have (finally) created one of the tastiest banana bread recipes around.

I had at the huge pile of bananas on the kitchen counter for a while, assuming that my family could not possibly eat that many bananas, and that I would be able to make banana bread at the end of the week.  However, when I glanced at the pile yesterday, there was only one brown-speckled beauty ripe enough for baking.

Still having an itch to bake, and with four extremely ripe pears sitting in the fruit basket, I decided to try baking pear bread.  After all, the method has to be pretty similar to banana bread, doesn’t it?

Inspired, I remembered reading about pear bread on another one of my favorite food sites: Smitten Kitchen.  So, using her recipe as a starting point, I quickly whipped together the batter, poured it into a Bundt pan, and gently slid it into the oven.  One hour later the entire house smelled delightfully of spiced bread, and my craving for banana bread was quickly forgotten.  I promise that this bread will not disappoint!

Ginger Cookies with Lemon Frosting

As the cookie baking season is well underway, I thought it would be appropriate to write about one of my favorites: the ginger cookie.  Although I typically favor crunchy ginger cookies–the kind you can soften in a tall glass of milk–these are soft little cookie pillows, with a crunchy coating of turbinado sugar.  Add in a refreshingly lemon-filled frosting, and you have a cookie that is more than worthy for the holiday cookie tray.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad

The cold weather has officially hit, and I find myself craving more hearty, stick-to-your-ribs food; salads aren’t typically included in this category.  However, one of my coworkers brought this salad for lunch last week, and the scent wafting across the table motivated me to buy a 3-pound red cabbage at the farmer’s market this past weekend.

The recipe comes from one of my favorite sites, 101 Cookbooks.  I love Heidi’s food philosophy, her photography, and her delicious creations.  I have yet to be disappointed by one of her recipes, and this warm red cabbage salad was no exception.

The dish can be whipped up in a mere 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick, light dinner.  However, if you’re anything like me, you may enjoy this salad so much that you find yourself eating it at all times of the day.  Believe me, it’s really that good.

Chocolate Cranberry Scones

It seems that scones are always hit-or-miss.  The good ones crumble when you try to tear off a piece, are moist without being gummy, and have a touch of sweetness, without being a cookie.  Although I have a favorite, go-to scone recipe (which I will post about in the upcoming month), I decided to try something new.

 

This chocolate scone recipe has been bookmarked for a while; I simply did not find the right occasion to make them…until last week that is.

 

The recipe is a breeze to make, and you probably have most (if not all) of the ingredients in your kitchen.  The utterly rich, chocolate-studded scone dough is balanced by the tart bite of the fresh cranberries.  These scones would make a great breakfast treat for holiday guests.