in the kitchen

GIVE THANKS FOR QUICK BREADS

You don’t have to be a seasoned baker to join the quarantine bread-baking craze. And you don’t need yeast. BY NOËL KONKEN

Find a recipe for Banana Bread on page 22.

With more time on our hands during quarantine, households have resorted back to reviving traditional skills: crocheting, vegetable gardening, jigsaw puzzles and of course baking. My friends and neighbors seem to have transformed into artisan bakers overnight. I’ve seen it all. Focaccia that looks like it could hang on a museum wall. Or sourdough starters treated like the new family pet. But me?

I never could quite master the skill or patience required to create that perfectly crusted, golden bread loaf. The true unsung hero in my personal boulangerie these past few months has been the consistent, the versatile, and the comforting quick bread.

Quick breads allow a greater margin of error, which means they offer more creativity, flexibility and different skill levels — including young bakers. And let’s be honest, nothing else quite welcomes us to the holiday season like the warm aroma of pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon muffins rising in the oven. So let’s lose the yeast and not stress this holiday season while baking delectable quick breads to share.

PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES

FAST FACTS Quick breads are any baked item that uses a chemical leavening agent, such a baking powder or soda, instead of yeast or eggs. The name speaks for itself. Quick breads can be made in a jiffy and do not require long rising times. Their recipes typically include flour, fat, liquid, sweetener and a leavening agent. Quick breads include (but are not limited to): •Loaf breads (like banana and zucchini bread) •Muffins •Cornbread

•Biscuits

•Scones •Pancakes •Cookies

MIXING MAGIC

MUFFIN METHOD: Uses liquid fat, such as melted butter or oil. First mix the dry ingredients together separately from the wet ingredients in two bowls. Promptly add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix; the batter should appear slightly lumpy. Use this method when you desire a soft, cake-like texture for loaf breads, cornbread, muffins or pancakes.

BISCUIT METHOD: Uses fat that is chilled. First cut the fat into the flour prior to adding any liquid ingredients. You can use a pastry cutter or your hands to break the fat into small bits. Use this method when you desire a flakey texture for scones or biscuits.

CREAMING METHOD: Uses fat that is softened at room

temperature. First combine and beat the sugar with the fat to incorporate air prior to adding any additional ingredients. Use this method when you desire a rich, tender texture for cake, cookies or shortbreads.

HASTY HEALTH HACKS

While it is always OK to indulge in some of our favorite holiday baked treats, experimenting with some simple substitutions to make our batters, well, better for us are fun ways to experiment in the kitchen. It is recommended before making nutritious substitutions to start with a recipe you’ve had previous success with for the best product. •Substitute up to half of the flour with whole wheat four to add more fiber. •Reduce the sugar by a quarter — most of the time you can’t tell the difference. •Replace half the fat with a lower-calorie and more nutritious alternative such as applesauce, Greek yogurt or canned pumpkin. •Use miniature chocolate chips and limit to nearly half the amount to still get the fulfillment of rich chocolate scattered throughout.

Noël Konken, a registered dietitian, is a clinical pediatric dietitian at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.

GETTY IMAGES

RECIPE: Noel’s Famous Banana Bread

BITTER, SOAPY TASTE: Too much baking powder or soda, or it was not adequately combined with ingredients. • Fast fix: Sift the leavening agent with dry ingredients. caused by the batter not getting cooked immediately, a damaged leavening agent or overmixing. • Fast fix: Place batter in oven more quickly, store leavening agents in a dry,

temperature-controlled environment, mix only until just combined. CRUST IS TOO THICK: Too much sugar or low oven temperature. • Fast fix: Adjust the

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ripe bananas • ½ cup brown sugar • ½ cup granulated sugar • ½ cup Greek yogurt • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • ½ cup vegetable oil • 2 cups flour (can substitute ½-1 cup with whole wheat flour) • 1 teaspoon baking soda • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2. Grease the inside of a loaf pan and set aside. 3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add sugar, yogurt, vanilla and oil. Mix well. 4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking soda together. 5. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients until just combined. 6. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. 7. Promptly pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60

PROMPT PROBLEM-SOLVING

TOO DENSE: This could be

minutes. sweetener in your recipe, adjust to higher oven temperature.

TOUGH TEXTURE:

Overmixing. • Fast fix: Mix only until just combined.