Tuesdays With Dorie: Mango Bread

Just when I get going again with my baking and blogging, life takes some unexpected turns and throws me off for awhile. My mom was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. How a young, healthy, active non-smoker like my mom gets lung cancer is beyond me, and how it can spread to her spine, hips, femurs, neck, and brain before she even has any symptoms of being sick is even more crazy to me. She only went to the doctor in the first place because she had some back pain that wouldn't go away. Anyway, we aren't going down without a fight. She started radiation to 4 spots on her back last week, will start chemo next week, and then will do radiation on her brain the 1st of June. We have a long road ahead of us, but for now, here's some Mango Bread to celebrate some warm weather here in Utah finally.
I found the sweetest and juiciest mangos I have ever had to make this bread. I had a hard time not eating all of the mango before putting it in the batter for the bread. It was a pretty good and very easy, summery bread, but not one of my favorites. I think if I make it again, I would use less cinnamon and more mango.

For my bread I used craisins instead of golden raisins. And then after the bread had baked and cooled, I brushed on about 2 T of melted butter and covered the top with cinnamon and sugar. That definitely added a nice crust to it.

A nice pick this week from Kelly, of Baking with the Boys.


on a side note...for anyone living in Gilbert, AZ, vote for Jenn Daniels today for Town Council!!! She is my sister and I love her! She has worked so hard and has such a passion for the city and it's potential. Vote for Jenn!

Mom's Banana Bread

I have been making this recipe for years now and it's always eaten up so quickly. It is so moist and sweet.

Mom's Banana Bread

2 1/2 C flour
1 C sugar
1 tsp salt
3 T vegetable oil
3/4 C milk
1 egg
1 C mashed bananas
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 C chocolate chips ( I like to use the mini ones)

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and bake another 10-15 minutes or until middle is cooked thoroughly.

Ripe bananas are best to use, but I always make banana bread when the bananas on my kitchen counter have gotten to the point where no one will eat them. Did you know you can freeze bananas for later use as well?

Could it get any easier than that?

Garden Fresh Zucchini Bread

Our sweet neighbors let us use their garden this year to plant whatever we wanted to since they weren't going to use it. Because we are first timers, we weren't sure what was going to happen, and not much did to be honest. But, we are so proud of the one zucchini that grew and I couldn't wait to make lots and lots of zucchini bread with it! Look how big it got! I made 4 loaves and didn't even use half of it!

I'm not much of a photographer, but look at all those beautiful bits of zucchini in that bread!

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 C sugar
1 1/2 C shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp lemon peel
1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

*grease bottom and sides of 8x4x2-inch loaf pan. (note: I have the Williams and Sonoma loaf pan, and it's twice as big, so I had to double the recipe. Be sure to check your pan size)
*combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in medium bowl. I like to use a whisk for my dry ingredients to keep them light and airy.
*in another bowl, combine the sugar, zucchini, oil, egg, and lemon peel.
*add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture and stir just until moistened. Fold in walnuts or pecans.
*spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350.
*cover with aluminum foil and bake another 10-15 minutes or until center is cooked through.
*cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing loaf from pan to cool completely on the wire rack.
*I like to brush the top of the loaf with melted butter and sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar mixture for a little extra health benefit. SO GOOD!

Enjoy!