Baked Sweet Potatoes

Serves 6| Hands-On Time: 05m | Total Time: 50m

Ingredients

• 6 medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Make a slit in the top of each sweet potato. Top with 1 tablespoon of butter and season with the salt and pepper.

REAL SIMPLE October 2006

Pumpkin Bread

Wet ingredients
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water

Dry ingredients
3 cups sugar (2 white, 1 light brown)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1.  Preheat oven to 350.
2.  Grease and flour two 9 x 5 loaf pans
3.  In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and sugar until well blended.
4.  In a separate large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Stir dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.  Pour into prepared pans.
4.  Bake for 45-55 minutes in preheated oven.

Cranberry Coffee Cake

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cups flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1.  Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.  Add eggs to creamed mixture.
2.  Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt.
3.  Combine with the creamed mixture.
4.  Combine remaining flour with cranberries and nuts.  Fold into batter (mixture will be thick).
5.  Spoon batter into greased and floured bundt pan.
6.  Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes or until done.
7.  Let stand 5 minutes before removing from pan.  Cool on a wire rack.
8.  Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Cake

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup applesauce

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

Topping

1 cup and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/8 to 1/4 cup oats

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one loaf pan.

2.     In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter or margarine and the sugar and applesauce until fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at time beating mixture well after each egg.

3.     Combine flour with baking powder and baking soda. Add alternately with sour cream to egg mixture. Beating just enough after each addition to keep batter smooth.

4.     Combine oats, cinnamon, and remaining sugars (and walnuts if including)

5.     Spoon 1/2 of the batter into prepared pan, sprinkle with 1/2 of the walnut mixture. Repeat.

6.     Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until center is done. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove pan and let cake continue cooling on a wire rack.