Cardamom Tea Loaf (Scandanavian)

 

I have always loved tea loaves. By that I don't mean loaves made with tea (although they are also very nice). I mean loave that are meant to be enjoyed with tea or other hot drinks. They are from the quick bread classification of baking and differ greatly from yeast breads.  

There is no kneading needed and they do not use yeast for leaven.  They will normally use baking soda or baking powder to give them a rise and in many cases some sour milk, sour cream or yogurt that works with the soda or baking powder to give them lift.

  

This Cardamom Tea Loaf recipe which I am sharing with you today is one that I found on Just A Pinch.  It is attributed to Marsha Gardner.  It looked and sounded like something I would enjoy. I am a person who really loved the flavor of cardamom and so immediately printed it out to bake.

I will say that mine does not look the same as the photo that she has on the recipe. That appears to be a glazed Lemon Loaf. If you look closely at the background of the photo you will see whole lemons.

My loaf was quite a bit darker and is not glazed as there is no glaze in this recipe. It is however a good loaf, and I can recommend you baking it if you are a fan of the flavor of cardamom and cinnamon. It is also not overly sweet, which I also enjoyed.  Like my muffins, I really like my tea loaves to be more bread like and less like a sweet cake. In any case, this is a good tea loaf that I highly approve of!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CARDAMOM TEA LOAF

Just a few simple baking cupboard essentials and some dairy products.

• 2 cups (250g) plain all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground cardamom (fresh)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (120g) dairy sour cream
• 10 TBS (143g) butter, melted

 

Do not use self-rising flour for this. All-purpose plain works best. 

Use fresh spices wherever possible.  If you cannot get fresh ground cardamom, but you can find cardamom pods, you can break them open and grind the seeds. It will take quite a few pods but the flavor and scent are both amazing.

I used full fat sour cream and salted butter.

 

HOW TO MAKE CARDAMOM TEA LOAF

Like most quick breads, this delicious loaf is very easy to put together.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin and lightly dust with flour, tapping out any excess.

Sift the flour, soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar together until light and creamy. Beat in the dry ingredients. The batter will be quite thick.

Stir in the sour cream and the melted butter.

 

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, leveling the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. When done a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before tipping out onto a rack to finish cooling.

Store tightly covered. Dust with icing sugar to serve if you wish. Cut into slices to serve. This freezes very well, tightly covered.

 

ALL ABOUT QUICK BREADS

Quick breads are the loaf version of muffins. Unlike their yeast counterparts, quick breads are made from a softer dough and are leavened with baking powder and/or soda, not yeast.  There is no kneading required, and most can be mixed and fully baked in not much more than an hour.

Some things you want to bear in mind when making quick breads:

1. Be quick when mixing the batter together.  Stir as little as possible. If you overwork it you can toughen the loaf.  You will also need to bake them as soon as possible after mixing then together as they will start to rise as soon as the leaven meets the liquid. Your batter will lose volume if left to sit.

2. If your loaf ends up soggy and sunken in the middle, it is possible that you have added too much liquid in proportion to the dry ingredients. If the texture is coarse then there may have been too much fat added.

3. Generally speaking, most quick breads have a crack down the center of the top of the loaf.

4. For easy removal, line your loaf pan with some baking paper, leaving a bit of an overhang for lifting the finished loaf out of the pan.  Just lift out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. I think that quick breads cut much nicer if left overnight so generally speaking, I will bake mine the day prior to serving them. They also freeze very well, tightly wrapped. You can also slice them, placing a piece of grease proof paper in between the slices and place into an airtight container, ready to freeze that way.  Then you can take out as many or as few slices as you need.

I wasn't quite sure how this would turn out as the batter was quite thick.  I was surprised with the end results however.  The loaf was lovely and light with a tender crumb.  The flavors of the cardamom and cinnamon are very mild.  The next time I might add a bit more.

I enjoyed a slice of this along with a warm cup of lemon and ginger tea.  I did butter it, but did not take any photos of it buttered. As with any tea bread, it was lovely buttered. I would make this again.

   

I love quick breads, maybe even more than muffins or cake. They are lovely served with hot drinks midafternoon or morning. They are also lovely served for breakfast.

They also make delicious tea sandwiches, sandwiching two slices together with some cream cheese.  Cut into fingers to serve.

Here are a few more tea loaves that I really enjoy baking and eating. You might also enjoy them as well!

BANANA LOAF FOR TWO - Although breads such as this freeze very well, you may be wanting a smaller loaf. This banana loaf for two makes a delicious smaller sized loaf, baking in a 7 by 3-inch loaf tin. It is every bit as moist and delicious as its full-sized counterpart. It has a fabulous texture and is beautiful served thinly sliced and spread with softened butter.

PINEAPPLE & ZUCCHINI LOAF - Zucchini makes a superior quick bread. It always comes out moist and flecked with green.  This particular recipe which contains crushed pineapple is a real favorite of mine. Its light and takes well to the warm baking spices and toasted nuts.

Yield: 0ne 9 by 5-inch loaf

Author: Marie Rayner

Cardamon Tea Loaf (Scandanavian)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 1 H & 20 M

A fairly simple loaf that actually tastes better with each day that passes. Not too sweet, it cuts like a dream. Flavored with ground cardamom and cinnamon. Lovely with a hot drink.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) plain all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground cardamom (fresh)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (120g) dairy sour cream
• 10 TBS (143g) butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin and lightly dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
2. Sift the flour, soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar together until light and creamy. Beat in the dry ingredients. The batter will be quite thick.
4. Stir in the sour cream and the melted butter.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, leveling the top.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. When done a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
7. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before tipping out onto a rack to finish cooling.
8. Store tightly covered. Dust with icing sugar to serve if you wish. Cut into slices to serve.
9. This freezes very well, tightly covered.

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Bacon Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

 

 

Is it too early in the season to share a delicious pasta salad recipe?  I hope not because I have a really delicious one to share with you today!  Bacon Dill Pickle Pasta Salad.  Dill pickle lovers will find themselves unable to resist this delicious salad which is loaded with flavors and textures!

The original recipe comes from a page called Whole and Heavenly Oven.  The original recipe made six fabulous servings. I have reduced it to make only three, which is plenty for me!

 

What you have here is a delicious salad composed of tender fusilli pasta tossed together with creamy chunks of cheddar cheese, smoky bacon, as well as crisp dill pickles, sharp red onions and a rich and creamy dill dressing.

Make sure you use the best and freshest that you have of all the ingredients and you can be sure that you will have one really amazing salad to enjoy!

 

I am a person who enjoys salad any time of the year. Lunch, supper, as a main, or as a side. I have even been known to enjoy salad for breakfast.

Pasta salads are one of my favorite types of salads.  They are great to take to potluck suppers or to take in your lunch to work.  They are delicious at any time as far as I am concerned and I hope that you will agree!

I was really pleased with the way this one came out.  It was a fabulous mix of flavors and textures. I am a dill pickle lover from way back, so it really appealed to my pickle loving soul. There was the perfect contrast of smokiness from the bacon and tanginess from the pickles and don't get me started on the creaminess of the cheese. Put cheese in something and I am all there!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BACON DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD

Bear in mind this is a small batch recipe. If you are making this for a larger crowd you may want to double the ingredients listed below.

For the salad:

• 1/2 pound (2 cups/227g) uncooked spiral pasta
• 3 strips of streaky bacon, diced 1/4 inch and cooked until crisp
• 2 ounces (60g) of medium/strong cheddar cheese, diced small
• 1/2 cup (4 large) dill pickles finely diced
• 4 TBS finely diced red onions
• salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup (73g) full fat mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup (80g) full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) dill pickle juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried dill weed
• salt and black pepper to taste

 

I used fusilli pasta. It has the perfect shape to grab and cup the dressing, always important when making a pasta salad.

You can use peameal bacon, or back bacon if you wish. What I don't recommend using is those already cooked bacon bits. Cook your own bacon and crumble it.

Use a good cheddar cheese. You can use orange or white.  You want one with a nice flavor that will stand up to the other ingredients in the salad.

Finely dice your onions and pickles for the best texture and flavor.  Big chunks of either one are quite unappealing.

I use full fat ingredients as there is less danger of them splitting.  

 

 

HOW TO MAKE BACON DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD

This salad is not hard to make at all. Be sure to check out all of my hints and tips for making a great pasta salad, which follow.

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions to al dente in a saucepan of boiling lightly salted water. Drain well. Rinse in cold water to cool off and drain again.

 

While the pasta is cooking, cook your bacon and then chop all of your pickles, onions, cheese. Drain the bacon well.

Toss the cooled pasta with all of the vegetables, the cheese and the bacon. Add the dressing and fold everything together gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Place into a bowl, cover tightly and chill until ready to serve. (Remember to let the salad sit at room temperature for about half an hour prior to serving for the best flavor and textures.)

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING GREAT PASTA SALADS

Long standing favorites at picnics and potlucks, portable lunches, etc. who doesn't love a pasta salad. Here are my hints and tips for making a really great one!

1. Make it interesting by making sure you have a nice combination of textures, including firm, cooked, soft and raw ingredients. Blanch tougher veggies (like broccoli) to make them easier to eat. A handful of nuts or seeds can also help to boost the texture.

2. Use creative ingredients to super-charge the flavors. Consider spicy, salty, sweet or acidic when choosing ingredients to fill and or dress your salad.  A classic vinaigrette dressing is nice but you can greatly enhance it by using a flavored vinegar, such as balsamic, cider or even tarragon. Spicy pickled peppers can add a lovely punch and kick. Honey or maple syrup added to the dressing can add a lovely natural sweetness.

3. Make sure you use the right kind of pasta for the salad you are making. With over 350 different kinds of pasta out there, we really are spoilt for choice.  The type of pasta you use will depend on the type of salad you are making and the kind of dressing you wish to use.  Filled pastas should be avoided as the fillings can be somewhat appealing when served cold. You want a pasta shape that will hug the dressing and act as little sauce magnets. Pasta that cups or collect is best.  Short cut pastas also work best in my opinion. Ditalini, elbow macaroni, fusilli, bow tie, radiatori, cavatappi, and orecchiette all work very well.

4. Cook your pasta only to al dente.  Soggy over-cooked pasta is very unappealing. Bear in mind that your pasta will absorb some of the dressing, so you really don't want it to be overcooked to begin with. Also salt your pasta well when you are cooking it. 1 TBS per quart of water is usually sufficient.

5. If you have them available try using fresh herbs. Delicate herbs such as parsley, chives, basil, tarragon, cilantro/coriander and mint work best.  Dill is also very nice.  To preserve the freshness and color, wait to add fresh herbs until just prior to serving. Use caution when using fresh herbs with really strong flavors such as sage and rosemary.

6.  Dress your pasta salad while the pasta is still warm when using a vinaigrette dressing.  Wait until it is cool when using a mayonnaise-based dressing.  Mayonnaise is susceptible to separating when heated. It is also preferable to make your own dressing from scratch rather than relying on a readymade dressing.

7. Always save a bit of dressing back to stir into your salad just prior to serving. Keep it covered and chilled and then stir in at the last minute.

8. Make pasta salads ahead of time in order to let the flavors meld and develop even more flavor. It is also best to allow them to come to room temperature prior to serving.  This helps the flavors to present themselves at their very best. Just be sure not to let it sit out for more than two hours to help prevent the risk of illness from bacterial growth.

  

I love pasta salads. They are usually very quick to make and are great to make ahead of time. Also fabulous for taking to potluck suppers and the like. Great for picnics and Barbeques. Here are a couple more of my favorite pasta salads that I think you might also enjoy!

 

 

BACON & TOMATO PASTA SALAD - All the flavors of your favorite toasted sandwich in a delicious salad!  With fresh cherry tomatoes, crisp bacon, spring onions and celery. Mix that with some fusilli and a punchy creamy dressing and you have a salad combination that goes with just about anything! 

TEX MEX PASTA SALAD - With red and yellow cherry tomatoes, red onions, peppers, sweet corn, avocado, coriander and black beans! Add a zippy Tex Mex dressing and Bob's your Uncle!  This salad goes well with most proteins! I love to use Farfalle for this one. Add some cubed cooked meat or cheese and you can easily turn this fabulous salad into a delicious main dish salad!

Yield: 3 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Bacon Dill Pickle Salad

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 30 Min

This fabulous salad is loaded with lot of yummy flavors and textures. Tender al dente pasta, cheddar cheese, bacon, dill pickles and red onions in a deliciously creamy dill dressing. What's not to love?

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1/2 pound (2 cups/227g) uncooked spiral pasta
• 3 strips of streaky bacon, diced 1/4 inch and cooked until crisp
• 2 ounces (60g) of medium/strong cheddar cheese, diced small
• 1/2 cup (4 large) dill pickles finely diced
• 4 TBS finely diced red onions
• salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup (73g) full fat mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup (80g) full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) dill pickle juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried dill weed
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions to al dente in a saucepan of boiling lightly salted water. Drain well. Rinse in cold water to cool off and drain again.
3. While the pasta is cooking, cook your bacon and then chop all of your pickles, onions, cheese. Drain the bacon well.
4. Toss the cooled pasta with all of the vegetables, the cheese and the bacon. Add the dressing and fold everything together gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
5. Place into a bowl, cover tightly and chill until ready to serve.

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Twin Mountain Muffins

 

If you have been reading me for any time you, you will know that I have a great love for vintage cookery books and recipes.  I don't know what there is about them, but I am fascinated by them. I think they are a wonderful window into the history of our culinary journey.  

Things don't always have to be brand spanking new to have value.  I think Vintage Recipes are the recipes that got us where we are today culinarily speaking and they are, for the most part, solid and dependable.

Granted, they may not be fancy, but they are reliable, and, in most cases, they are delicious and can be valuable building blocks in a good cook's repertoire.

 

This recipe I am sharing with you today comes from a book entitled The Modern Family Cookbook, by Meta Given. My copy was published in 1953.

Meta Given was an American author, home economist and best-selling cookbook author who grew up on a farm in Missouri in the late 1800's, (which is when my grandmother was born).  She was brought up in a three-room log cabin with chinked walls. 

As an adult she taught Home Economics in schools for over 20 years. 

I love this cookbook. Whenever I use it I think of my grandmother as well as all of the Home Economics teachers I had through the years.  They are the ones who started me on my journey of loving to cook, fueling a hunger in me that has never lessened through the years.

This is a brilliant recipe for a very basic muffin with no bells and no whistles. It is not cake. It is a traditional muffin with the texture of a good muffin, not overly sweet and beautifully textured with lots of little tunnels and holes.

You could of course fancy it up a bit by adding some grated orange or lemon zest and possibly some chopped nuts, or dried fruits, but trust me when I tell you they are perfectly delicious as is.

  

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TWIN MOUNTAIN MUFFINS

Just a few very basic baking cupboard essentials. These are not complicated in the least.

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (57g) butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (55g) solid white vegetable shortening, room temperature (Crisco, Trex, White Flora, etc.)
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk

Whenever I am baking anything, I try to make sure that all of my ingredients are at room temperature. This just takes a tiny bit of forethought in taking the eggs, milk, butter, shortening, etc. out of the refrigerator about half an hour before you begin to make your recipe.

I used salted butter and whole milk.  As this is a vintage recipe, I do believe that in the old days they would have used these things as is.  In fact, the milk and butter may have been home produced in a lot of cases!

I used Kirkland organic granulated sugar. In the U.K. I recommend using natural caster sugar.

My eggs come fresh from a farm on the mountain. It doesn't get much better than that!

HOW TO MAKE TWIN MOUNTAIN MUFFINS

These defy every rule I have ever known about making muffins and go together more like you would a cake, however they turned out to be delicious and very muffin-like!

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter 12 medium muffin cups really well. Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together three times. Set aside.

Cream both the butter and the shortening together until well combined. Blend in the sugar gradually.

Add the beaten egg and beat until smooth and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition.

Spoon into the buttered muffin cups filling them 2/3 full.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until risen and a rich golden brown.

Let cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before tipping out. Serve hot with butter for spreading.

NOTES:

These can be frozen, tightly wrapped for up to three months. You can heat from frozen, in the microwave on high for about 25 to 30 seconds. (Check sooner as your microwave may be stronger than mine.)

Reheat any leftovers for about 15 seconds in the microwave.

Never having done so, I cannot speak with any authenticity as to how they would turn out if you used all butter instead of a mix of butter and shortening. The two ingredients have very different qualities, both texture wise and in flavor. I believe with all butter they may be a bit greasy, but I could be wrong.

 

These were not really fancy by any stretch, but they were the perfect muffin. Despite defying all of the rules usually followed for making and baking muffins, they were light and fluffy, with the perfect muffin texture and a beautiful flavor.  Not too sweet either.

I really enjoyed these. Not overly large, not too sweet, perfectly textured.  I enjoyed them with some soft butter and strawberry jam. 

 

Looking for something a tiny bit fancier?  Perhaps you would enjoy the following recipes. I can promise you that they are also very delicious and are old favorites of mine.

GINGERBREAD MUFFINS - I am a hug fan of gingerbread anything. I think gingerbread is probably one of my favorite things to bake and eat! They are moist and delicious with a lovely crumb and beautiful ginger/cinnamon flavor. The recipe makes a full batch of 12 fabulous muffins!  

SIX WEEK REFRIGERATOR BRAN MUFFINS - There is nothing like having a great muffin batter in the refrigerator, mixed and ready to bake. This is an adaptation of a very old recipe and has been pleasing women and their families for many years. This was the muffin recipe that I had to bake for my female employer every day that I worked at the Manor. She liked them baked in mini muffin tins and would eat three of them every single morning.  They are delicious.

Yield: 12 medium muffins

Author: Marie Rayner

Twin Mountain Muffins

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min

These are simply fabulous. Perfect as is served warm with some butter for spreading and or maybe some jam to spoon over top! Delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (57g) butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (55g) solid white vegetable shortening, room temperature (Crisco, Trex, White Flora, etc.)
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter 12 medium muffin cups really well. Set aside.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together three times. Set aside.
3. Cream both the butter and the shortening together until well combined. Blend in the sugar gradually.
4. Add the beaten egg and beat until smooth and fluffy.
5. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition.
6. Spoon into the buttered muffin cups filling them 2/3 full.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until risen and a rich golden brown.
8. Let cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before tipping out. Serve hot with butter for spreading.

Notes

These can be frozen, tightly wrapped for up to three months. You can heat from frozen, in the microwave on high for about 25 to 30 seconds. (Check sooner as your microwave may be stronger than mine.)

Reheat any leftovers for about 15 seconds in the microwave.

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