We bake for 5 and maybe a 6th this year (empty house just sold).   One neighbor always does a great tray of cookies, another does a mixture of cookies and candy so I try to do something different than their trays.

I bought a Wilton’s 4-loaf mini-pan at Wal-Mart and I’m making the neighbors banana bread, pumpkin bread, sweet/spicy nuts and cinnamon pretzels this year.  Lemon cookies, too, if I still have time.  Wilton’s also had gift bags for the bread with ribbon for bows and a card to write what the item is.  They also had pretzel bags, which will work for the pretzels and the nuts.  Guess the cookies will have to go in a zip-lock with a stick-on bow   I only do for three neighbors, though. Now I need trays! 

How many familes are you making for?

My neighbors may get a card with a promise of goodies in the new year.   On top of everything else, now I’m sick!

I found another one.  This is for that really special neighbour, or you can take along for a pot-luck.

DEBBIE REID’S CHOCOLATE CAKE – no eggs, no milk, no butter

2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2/3 cup vegetable oil (not olive)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups cold water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Butter and flour a 9×13″ glass dish. 

NOTE:  If using a metal pan, oven should be preheated to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the first 4 ingredients.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until smooth.

Pour into prepared dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tests done.

If you want to add a frosting, this one is pretty awsome or use your favourite one.  I love peanut butter and chocolate!

KATHLEEN’S PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING (from Ina Garten)

1 cup icing sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the icing sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium sized bowl.  Using an electric mixer, mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work.  Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

This will cover the 9 x 13″ cake very well.

Enjoy!

GLUTEN FREE QUINOA BROWNIES

1/2 butter
2/3 cup good quality, semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa flour
1 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter an 8×8″ pan.

In a medium bowl (1.5 quart) melt butter and chocolate chips over medium heat; stirring until chocoloate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl (3 quart), using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thinck and pale; beat in the chocolate mixture at bit at a time along with the vanilla and salt.

Add the flour and beat on low speed or stir by hand just until blended.  Stir in nuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes,  until just set and the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

These brownies are really tasty and are not that super sweet like some recipes that make your teeth ache from too much sugar.

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Roy’s Strawberry Cheese Bread

1 1/2 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 c vegie. oil
1/2 c chopped, pecans
1- 10oz pkg. frozen strawberries, Thawed
Cream Cheese Filling
6 oz cream cheese
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. In a small bowl beat eggs and veggie oil. Add pecans & strawberries. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until just well blended. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients until smooth. Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Pour 2/3 of bread mixture batter into pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over top. Spoon remaining bread batter on top of cream cheese mixture. Bake 1 hour & 10 min. Cool & remove from pan. When cool, Wrap in foil & refrigerate.
Roy’s Orange Cheese Bread
 
posted by ROY 06-25-110 12:51 PM

6 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp. Vegie.oil
1 1/3 c orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 egg
3/4 c sugar
2 c flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. orange zest
In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese & oil until fluffy. Add orange juice, orange extract, egg & sugar. Beat with electric mixer on med. speed for 2 min.In a large bowl sift together, flour, salt, baking powder & orange zest With a wooden spoon fold in orange juice mixture. Mix until just blended. Pour into a greased & floured 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on wire rack in pan 15 min. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Dust with confec. sugar

Roy’s Lemon Cream Bread
 
posted byROY06-25-110 7:01 AM

1/2 c butter
1 1/4 c sugar
2 Lg. Eggs
2 1/4 c flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
5 1/2 oz evaporated milk
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 c water
1/2 c chopped, pecans
2 Tbsp. Lemon rind

Glaze
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c lemon juice
Cream butter, sugar & cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating thoroughly after each one. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk and water. Blend well. Fold in nuts and lemon rind. Pour into a greased & floured 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until golden brown. In a small bowl stir sugar with lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Drizzle over hot loaf. Let stand in pan for 30 min. turn out on to cake rack to cool.
( I use 2 smaller loaf pans and get 2 loaves)