Lemon Blueberry Poppyseed Bread

Lemon Blueberry Poppy seed Bread

Bread:

1 package of Duncan Hines Bakery Style Blueberry Muffin Mix

2 T poppy seeds

1 egg

¾ c water

1 T grated lemon peel

Drizzle:

½ c confectioners sugar

1T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8X4 inch loaf pan.

1. Rinse blueberries with cold water and drain.
2. For bread, combine muffin mix and poppy seeds in medium bowl. Break up any lumps. Add egg add water. Stir until moistened, about 50 strokes. Fold in blueberries and lemon peel. Pour into pan. Sprinkle with contents of topping packet from mix.
3. Bake at 350 for 57-62 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen loaf from pan. Invert onto cooling rack. Turn upside down**. Cool completely.

Orange Cranberry Mascarpone Spread

Trader Joe’s sample stand suckered me in again with their Cranberry bread and orange cranberry spread!  But, looks like the spread is only seasonal, so I had to make up my own.  Here is my recipe for Orange Cranberry Mascarpone Spread!

¼ c. whole cranberries (frozen or fresh)
¼ c. orange juice
½ tsp. orange zest
1/3 c. mascarpone cheese
In a small pan, cook down the cranberries in the orange juice. Make sure your pan is covered so all the liquid doesn’t evaporate. Once the berries burst open, smash them up with the back of a wooden spoon. Let cool. Combine the cranberry sauce, mascarpone cheese and orange zest. You can add more orange juice or mascarpone if needed to have the consistency of whipped cream cheese. Spread on the warm bread and enjoy! (I recommend using Trader Joe's Cranberry Bread mix!)

Garlic Bread

My father and I traveled to Spain several years ago and had the most amazing bread. It is my inspiration for this garlic bread.
Ciabatta bread
1 clove garlic
1 tomato
Fresh cracked pepper
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Basil

Split the bread in half and toast it under the broiler until brown and crisp. Cut the garlic clove in half and immediately, while the bread is still hot, rub the garlic cloves all over it. Then cut the tomato in half and rub it all over the bread too. Drizzle with olive oil, some fresh cracked pepper, freshly shaved parmesan cheese and julienned basil.

Garlic Rolls

These are AMAZING!! Buy frozen Bridgeford bread dough. (The white bread comes in a package of 3 loaves.) Take one loaf out of the freezer in the morning and place it on a greased cookie sheet. Let it thaw out all day. When you are ready, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle. In a bowl chop several cloves of fresh garlic, and any fresh herbs you want. I used chives, Italian parsley and thyme. Add some salt and olive oil and mash together. Generously butter the dough and spread your garlic herb mixture all over it (be generous!). Roll up and cut into 2 inch pieces and place back on the greased cookie sheet. Brush some melted butter on top and sprinkle a touch of salt. Bake according to the directions on the bread dough (but lessen the time and pull them out once they turn brown.) Enjoy!!

Irish Beer Bread

You’ve got to make this!!
3 c. self rising flour
½ c. sugar
1 12 oz. bottle of Irish beer
Mix (it will be sticky) and put in a buttered loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about 50 min – remove and slather with tons of butter and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. It’s sooooo yummy! (I think in the Summer time it would make the best strawberry shortcake!)