As I said in a comment to czarina this morning, my favorite quick breads are (in order of love) date/nut bread, pumpkin bread and banana bread. Because I seem to have a constant supply of very ripe bananas, that is the one I make most often. I love a buttered slice with my coffee in the morning, although it’s probably not a healthy breakfast.

Here are the recipes I use. Two things I have discovered are the most important to getting a good result are these:

1. Mix the ingredients by hand, and don’t over mix once you add the dry ingredients.
2. Don’t overbake! Test before you think it will be done.

Moist Date Nut Bread

This moist date nut bread is similar to a figgy pudding, but it’s made with dates, has no spices, and is less sweet overall. You could try covering the loaf with buttered foil and steaming it for a even moister version. This can also be baked in a 28-ounce can.

Servings: 12
Yield: 1 9×5-inch loaf

Ingredients

2 ½ cups chopped dates
¼ cup butter
1 cup boiling water
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, combine dates and butter. Pour boiling water over top and let stand until cool.

Stir cooled date mixture to break up any clumps. Add brown sugar and egg; mix until well blended.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir flour mixture into date mixture until just blended. Stir in walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.

Moist & Fluffy Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon all-spice
3/4 cup butter softened
2 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1 15-oz. can of 100% pure pumpkin)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

STELLA’S INSTRUCTIONS: I use one bowl method. Cream the butter and sugar, then mix in the eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients in a pile on one side of the bowl and mix them together, then mix with the wet ingredients.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275 F. (Yes, that’s right!)

In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

Mix in eggs. Mix in the pumpkin puree. Stir in vanilla extract.

Stir in half of the dry mixture into the wet mixture just until combine.

Stir in half of the buttermilk.

Add in the rest of the dry mixture and then stir in the rest of the buttermilk. Be sure to stir gently and just until combined.

Pour batter into two greased and floured loaf pans.

Bake for 1 hour and 10-20 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake and keep in mind that the bread will continue to bake as it cools down.

Let cool before removing from pan and slicing.

Enjoy!

Notes

~TIPS~ This bread freezes great! Be careful not to overbake. Bread will continue to bake a little after it comes out of the oven.

Moist Banana Bread

Ingredients

3 large extra ripe bananas (about 1½ cups mashed)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
½ cup white sugar
½-¾ cup light brown sugar, packed (see note)
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
melted butter for brushing (optional)

STELLA’S NOTES ABOUT MIXING: I use ONE bowl. I first cream the butter and sugars, then add the eggs. Then I mash in the bananas, and add the buttermilk and vanilla. Next, I add the dry ingredients and kind of mix them together on one side of the bowl, then combine them with the wet ingredients.

Official Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until creamy and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
3 large extra ripe bananas, 1 teaspoon lemon juice

In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. 2 cups all-purpose flour,1 teaspoon baking soda,1 teaspoon baking powder,½ teaspoon salt,1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. ½ cup white sugar,½-¾ cup light brown sugar, packed, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter

Beat in the eggs until combined. 2 large eggs

Fold in the mashed bananas.

Add in the vanilla extract and buttermilk. 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract,½ cup buttermilk

Mix until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

STIR GENTLY AND JUST UNTIL THE FLOUR IS INCORPORATED. DO NOT OVERSTIR. (sorry for yelling)

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake on the center rack for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Total time may vary. Check on the bread at the 1-hour mark. A Toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean, and the bread should be golden around the edges.

Brush the top of the bread with melted butter if desired when it comes out of the oven.
melted butter for brushing (optional)

Let the bread cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and place it on a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Slice and enjoy! (Flavors will intensify the next day)

Notes

Used the lesser amount (1/2 cup) of brown sugar packed if your bananas are ripe and sweet.

It is super important that you do not over-stir the batter, or it will turn out dry and tough. Stir very gently and just until the flour is incorporated.

Cooking times can vary. Check on the bread after an hour or a little before.

Add 1/2 cup of walnuts or chocolate chips if desired.