Hello, dear readers! I’m happy to announce that I am back from a brief blogging hiatus! I’m just bursting with new recipes to share with you all, starting with this delicious treat for a chilly fall morning. My freezer is full of ripe bananas that I’ve stashed away for a rainy baking day. I was perusing this banana bread recipe and decided to tweak it into some delicious Cinnamon-Pecan Banana Muffins. Fall is in the air, and I just love a deliciously spiced muffin to pair with my morning coffee at this time of year. So welcome back to VV, and I hope you will stick around for some more of my vintage-inspired recipes.

Cinnamon-Pecan Banana Muffins

Muffins:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Topping:
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Prepare a muffin tin with liners and preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and stir in the milk and vanilla. Add to the creamed mixture, stirring until combined. Next, add the dry ingredients and stir just until the flour is moistened. Do not over-stir or your muffins will be tough!

Fill the prepared muffin cups with batter about 3/4 of the way full.

In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping. Sprinkle the each muffin generously with the topping.

Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes, or until the tops bounce back when lightly touched. Serve warm.

Yield 12-16 muffins.

You should know by now, dear readers, that I am of Irish blood and that I love to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! While a hearty loaf of brown Irish Soda Bread usually graces our table on this festive day, this year, I decided to branch out and make a spotted dog. After comparing many sources, I decided to base my version on a recipe whose source was right in the heart of Ireland.

This bread turned out to be everything I had imagined: a deliciously crunchy crust, a delicately most and tender interior, with the perfect balance of richness and simplicity. The addition of the whiskey-soaked raisins didn’t hurt a bit either…. Slice this while it’s still a bit warm, and serve it topped with a generous dollop of Irish butter!

Spotted Dog – a fun version of Irish Soda Bread
adapted from The Rustic Kitchen

3/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup Irish whiskey (or apple juice if you prefer)
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 egg

Place your raisins in a small bowl or zip-lock bag and add the whiskey. Soak for at least one hour, or up to overnight.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to form a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk, the egg, and the melted butter. Add all but a couple of tablespoons of the wet mixture into the well of the dry ingredients. (Reserve the final 2 tablespoons for later!) Use the wooden spoon to stir the mixture together just until it forms a shaggy dough. Add the raisins. Using floured hands and a sprinkle as necessary, gently knead them into the ball until the dough is smooth.

Form the dough into a round disk about six or seven inches in diameter. Use a knife to cut a cross on top of the dough, about an inch deep. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the surface with the 2 tablespoons of reserved liquid. Bake in the center of your oven for about 25 minutes. When it’s done, the loaf will be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Serve warm with generous amounts of Irish butter. Enjoy!

Warning – this bread is totally addictive. It is just mildly sweet, perfectly spiced, dense, moist, and nutty. We could not stop eating it this morning! My husband and I easily took care of half the loaf for breakfast. I hope you will try it, but don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Apple Pecan Bread

adapted from the lately deceased but much-loved blog, Good Things Catered

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch fresh ground nutmeg
1 pinch cardamom (optional)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups apples peeled, cored, and diced
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and grease a regular loaf pan.

In medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large electric mixer bowl, combine the oil and sugar and beat well. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Add in the vanilla. Turn your mixer to low and carefully add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Fold in the apples and pecans. The resulting batter will be thick and sticky – barely enough to hold all of the apples and pecans together!

Spread the batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60-75 minutes. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

In my family, Easter weekend brings with it many culinary traditions:  Easter brunch, sliced, ham, deviled eggs, desserts infused with the flavors of spring . . . But one of those traditions was in danger of coming to an end this year.

Since before I was born, my family has frequented a small, independent bakery in Atlanta for fresh bread, colorful thumbprint cookies, and – an Easter tradition – hot cross buns.  Sadly, our precious little bakery closed a few months ago, as the owner decided it was time to retire.

And so the challenge was laid before me:  homemade hot cross buns!  So I hit the books and started paging through some my my vintage cookbooks.  When I reached my mom’s 1973 edition of Better Homes and Gardens’ Homemade Bread Cook Book, I found one of those wonderful little newspaper clippings that get forgotten, lodged inside of forgotten cookbooks.  The clipping came from the March 27, 1983 issue of Atlanta Weekly.  Glancing over the recipe, I knew this one was The One.

The article before the recipe perfectly describes these delicious sweet rolls, for those of you who may not be familiar with them.  “Hot cross buns, traditionally eaten on Good Friday morning, are symbolic of the Easter season.  Basically a spiced roll with currants or raisins, the bun are etched on top in the shape of a cross . . . [Then] a thick sugar glaze is decoratively spread on the bun.”

After making these buns from scratch, I am convinced that my family will be just fine, despite the loss of our precious local bakery. They were the best hot cross buns we’ve ever had! And so a new Easter tradition is born.

Hot Cross Buns
adapted from Atlanta Weekly, March 27, 1983

1/2 cup milk
2 envelopes (-5 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins or currants

4 tablespoons of milk
4 tablespoons of sugar

Using a microwave or the stove, warm the 1/2 cup of milk until lukewarm to the touch. Stir in the yeast and the teaspoon of sugar, and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, bronw sugar, and spices. Make a small well in the center and add the (now foamy) yeast mixture, the butter, the egg, and the 1/3 cup of milk. Stir until a firm dough forms. Add the raisins or currants, kneading the dough until it reaches a rubbery texture (about 6-8 minutes).

Lightly oil a bowl for the dough to rise in.  Cover the bowl and let it stand for about 2 hours in a warm, draft-free place so that the dough doubles in bulk.

Gently punch down the dough.  Divide it into 10-12 equal portions.  Roll each segment of dough between your hands to form the shape of a bun, and place them on two well-greased baking sheets.  Cover and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours, until they have doubled in bulk.  Finally, use a knife to cut the shape of a cross into the top of each bun.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  While the buns are baking, boil the milk and sugar together in a small saucepan until the mixture bubbles and forms a thin glaze.  Remove the buns from the oven and brush them while they are still hot with 2-3 coatings of the glaze.

Mom really wanted her goose "Ursula" to be in this picture!

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One ha’ penny, two ha’ penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons
One ha’ penny,
Two ha’ penny,
Hot Cross Buns!

I’ve made this nice cozy breakfast bread several times this season.  A slice of this bread is absolutely perfect with a cup of coffee or tea on a chilly morning.  It is packed full of tart apples, juicy cranberries, and toasty walnuts – with barely enough spiced batter to hold it all together!

Apple-Cranberry Bread
adapted from AllRecipes.com

3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup spiced rum or apple juice
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom (substitute with cinnamon if you don’t have this)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups of apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
3/4 cup walnuts

In  a small bowl, cover the cranberries with the spiced rum.  Cover and allow to sit for at least 1 hour (overnight is best).  Drain and discard the liquid.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a large loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf pans).  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and oil.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, stirring just until combined.

Gently fold in the drained cranberries, the apples, and the walnuts.  Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan(s).  Bake for 55-60 minutes for one large loaf; 40-45 minutes for four smaller loaves.

There is nothing my husband loves more than a dinner of plain ol’ pinto beans and cornbread.  In fact, his family still loves to tease us, saying that they know I was “the one” for him when I sat down on a dusty roadside at a fall festival a few months after we first met, and ate pinto beans and cornbread with him for lunch.  I didn’t think much of it at the time – I just thought it was a pretty yummy lunch.

So here is the recipe that my husband loves most.  Enjoy!

Pinto Beans and Cornbread

2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed with cool water
Water
3/4 cup diced ham
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped onion
Cornbread

Pour your rinsed beans into a large pot.  Cover with water about 2-3 inches above the tops of the beans.  Cover and allow to soak overnight.

The next day, drain the beans in a colander.  Return them to the pot, and cover with fresh water, at least 1 inch above the tops of the beans.  Add the diced ham.  Simmer the beans on low for 4-5 hours, or until the beans are nice and tender.  Alternatively, you can cook the beans on low in the crock pot for about 6 hours.

After the beans have cooked, season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, sprinkle each serving with salt on top and fresh diced onions.  Serve with cornbread to soak up all the delicious broth!

One of the first recipes I ever mastered – at the ripe old age of 7 years – was a basic drop biscuit.  Such a simple art, but with such delicious results.  This particular drop biscuit is similar to the one that I made when I was a little girl, only jazzed up with sharp cheddar and fragrant garlic.  The crispy outside of this biscuit yields to a light, fluffy, and tender inside that will melt in your mouth.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
adapted from Recipezaar.com

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup more melted butter
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Add the 1/2 cup melted butter, the milk, and the shredded cheese. Stir gently, just until moistened.  Do not over-stir.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the 1/4 cup melted butter and the garlic salt. Remove the biscuits from the oven and generously but gently brush the tops of the half-baked biscuits with the garlic butter. Return the biscuits to the oven for another 6 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown and crisp.

Serve warm. Yield 12-15 biscuits.

I couldn’t say it better than my mom did: It’s fall!! It’s time for Pumpkin Bread!!

Here is what she wrote to me in an email when I asked her about the history behind her delicious pumpkin bread…

Yes it is definitely time for pumpkin bread! This is the recipe from the mother (Rose) of a very good friend of Nanny’s. Nanny would make this and send it to me when I was in college back in the sixties. I think it is the only pumpkin bread recipe I’ve ever seen that does not include cinnamon. Although cinnamon makes for a great pumpkin experience, leaving it out seems to allow the pumpkin to shine.

Rose’s Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh grated nutmeg is best!)
2/3 cup water
2 cups pumpkin (1 15-ounce can pumpkin will work)
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 large loaf pans (9″ by 5″) and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together and beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer until smooth. Divide into the loaf pans. Each pan will be about 2/3 full.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Make sure center is done – a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Note: This bread freezes very well.

Note: For muffins, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Note: We have added chocolate chips to this recipe, and it was delicious!

When people find out that I have a food blog, they wonder why I do what I do. They often say, “Really?! A whole blog just about recipes and food?”

To which I answer, “Yes, a whole blog just about recipes and food.”

We food bloggers all have our reasons for doing what we do. For me, it’s about reaching out to people around the world and connecting with them through the shared experience of food. It’s about coming together around the dinner table as a family, as friends, even as an internet community. It’s just pretty darn cool that someone in Oregon made my mom’s squash casserole so that their kids would enjoy eating vegetables . . or that someone in England made my zucchini bread for a neighbor who had surgery . . . or someone in Chicago make my mother-in-law’s chicken squares to prove to her boyfriend that she could actually cook.

But as much as it is for others that we do what we do, I think we food bloggers have to admit that we do it for ourselves, too. There is something about this blog that feeds my soul, that grounds me, that inspires me. It’s an escape for me, but it’s also something that centers me and defines me. These recipes are part of my most sacred and precious memories – they are part of my family.

But despite all this . . . for the most part, we food bloggers don’t “get personal.” And I think that’s why this food blogger’s story struck such a chord with me.

You need to go read Jess’ story to truly understand. But in some strange way, blogging about “just food and recipes” has a way of strengthening us and providing that nourishment in life that only the exercise of creativity and community can provide, so that we have the courage to face the big life challenges that present themselves in “the real world.”

So . . . Jess, this banana bread is for you! I know you say it’s a food of departure, but here’s hoping that this post will be a warm and comforting welcome home, as well . . .

And, dear readers, think of this as your little reminder that miracles happen every day – sometimes in the kitchen, and sometimes out there in our everyday lives.

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumble Topping
Adapted from Sweet Amandine via Bakesale Betty, as seen in Bon Appetit, September, 2008

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup honey (local is best!)
¼ cup water

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ½ tablespoons packed golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (my addition – totally optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees; grease well and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, honey, and water until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Mix together the 2 tablespoons of sugar, the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the walnuts. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.

Bake the bread for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

We’re in high season right now for peaches. We’ve got so many that we can barely eat them before they start to go soft! I took a batch that was just on the verge of ruin and used them to make this delectable bread.

This is a combination of 2 recipes I saw online and one that I found in an old cook book. Some recipes seemed to prefer pureed peaches in the batter, while others featured diced chunks of peaches throughout the bread. I chose not to choose – I incorporated them both for an extra peachy punch! The sugar-roasted pecans on top give the crust a great crunch, rounding out the soft, moist, juicy inside of this perfectly summery bread.

Peach & Pecan Bread

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pureed peaches
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cup peeled, diced peaches

1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in peach puree and extracts.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in pecans and diced peaches.

Pour into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Combine remaining pecans with brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle this topping over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool or 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack.