Bake or Break

Hazelnut Date Bread

Quick breads and other breakfast baked goods are in my top 5 things to bake. I love them fresh from the oven. My not being much of a morning person makes it so they don’t get baked that often. I should really work on that.

I feel that there are two different kinds of quick breads. There are the dessert-level sweet kind. While I like those (hello, gorgeous!), my heart lies with the less sweet ones. Those are the ones that are great for a lazy weekend morning or even an afternoon treat.

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Pumpkin-Pecan Bread

Confession time. I don’t like pumpkin. As much as I am enamored with fall, you’d think I’d embrace pumpkin baking as so many of you do. Not so much.

Even with my dislike of all things pumpkin, I must admit that this bread is good. More than good. It’s delicious! It’s packed with all kinds of good things – brown sugar, pecans, spices – that complement the pumpkin and make this a great fall quick bread.

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Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Ah, banana bread. I feel bad for it sometimes. As much as I like it, it’s usually an afterthought. I never plan to make it. It’s only when I spot overripe bananas that I start contemplating what to bake with them.

For a little variety this time around, I went with the banana-chocolate combo. This bread is quite generous in the chocolate department.

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Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

It’s been a while since I made a quick bread. They’re truly one of my favorite things to bake, although I don’t seem to make them often. Anyway, I decided to take advantage of all the summer berries by making a simple bread with strawberries.

Of course, what goes better with strawberries than cream cheese? Granted, I’m pretty much always looking for an excuse to use cream cheese, but this is truly a fabulous use for it.

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Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Quick Bread

Unintentionally, I seem to have started 2012 in a very similar way to 2011. Last year, there was that amazing Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake. And now, this year begins with this fantastically easy, very tasty quick bread that also features chocolate chips and oats.

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Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

The sight of over-ripe bananas on my kitchen counter always makes me want to make banana bread. Sadly, I don’t always follow through with it. In those cases, it is most definitely not the thought that counts.

Recently, however, I decided enough was enough and ventured into the kitchen with this recipe in hand. I have a tremendous weak spot for cream cheese, and the thought of adding it to banana bread was more than enough to motivate me.

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