TEA BREADS

Tea Breads

These are some of my favorite tea bread recipes. They are easy to prepare with ingredients from the pantry and freeze well.

Savory Olive and Nut Bread

5 cups flour
2½ tablespoons baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground savory
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
2 cups sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives
2 cups walnut pieces
¼ cup chopped pimientos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and savory. In a separate bowl, stir together eggs and milk until blended. Stir egg mixture into dry mixture just until blended. Fold in olives, walnuts, and pimientos. Pour into two 9 x 5-inch greased loaf pans or mini loaf pans, and bake for 55 to 60 minutes for large loaves and 15 to 20 minutes for mini loaves. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. For appetizer, serve with cream cheese and a drizzle of olive salad. Yield: 2 loaves or 36 appetizer loaves
Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri: Above and Beyond Parsley


Zucchini Bread

3¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon each: cinnamon and nutmeg
1 cup vegetable oil cup water
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, stir together oil, water, eggs, zucchini, and lemon juice. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold in nuts. Bake in two 9 x 5-inch greased loaf pans for 1 hour or until tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Yield: 2 loaves
Karis Harbarger, Brandon


Banana Nut Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup canola oil
3 eggs, beaten
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1½ cups mashed ripe bananas
½ cup sour cream
1½ cups chopped and toasted walnuts
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, stir together oil, eggs, and vanilla; mix in bananas and sour cream. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold in nuts and coconut. Bake in two 9 x 5-inch greased loaf pans or 3 small loaf pans 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Yield: 2 loaves or 3-4 small loaves


Blueberry Bread

¾ cup sugar
½ stick butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
½ cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With mixer, cream sugar and butter. Add egg and milk. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry mixture to creamed mixture. Fold in lemon juice and blueberries. Pour into a 9 x 9-inch greased pan. Sprinkle with topping mixture of ½ cup sugar, cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ stick softened butter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes . Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Yield: 8-10 servings
Sheila Hunt, Flowood


Pumpkin Bread

1 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
½ cup each: canola oil and water 2 eggs, beaten
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 cup raisins, dusted with flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together oil, water, eggs, and pumpkin. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold in raisins. Bake in a greased 9”x 5” loaf pan for 1 hour 20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Drizzle with glaze of 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons milk or serve with Sweetened Butter. Yield: 1 loaf


Sweetened Butter

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon each vanilla and almond extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

With mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add flavorings. Beat in sugar. Yield: 1¼ cups
Willard Harrell, Brandon


Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) instant lemon pudding mix
½ cup warm water
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 eggs
½ cup canola oil
4 tablespoons poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With mixer, beat cake mix, pudding mix, water, lemon zest and juice, and oil for 2 minutes. Fold in poppy seeds. Pour into two greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Yield: 2 loaves