Quick breads are easy to make. You don’t have to knead or let dough rise. You can freeze them and pull one out later for dessert or for an unexpected guest. But you’ll want to keep some all to yourself, too. Enjoy a slice for breakfast with tea or coffee. Remember: The key to perfecting your quick breads is never to overmix the batter.

Maple Bread

1-3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a loaf pan. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Gradually add the maple syrup, mixing constantly. Whisk in the sour cream and egg. Add the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Fold in the pecans. Spoon the batter into loaf pan, and bake 50 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove loaf from pan to cool completely. Makes one loaf. — Donna, California

Lemon Bread

1-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Glaze:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a loaf pan. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until blended. Beat in the eggs. On low speed, add the flour mixture. Stir in the milk and lemon zest. Mix until blended and smooth. Fold in the toasted pecans. Spoon the batter into the pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes clean.
For syrup: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside.
Remove the loaf from the oven, and transfer to a wire rack. While bread is hot, poke holes into the top with a fork. Drizzle glaze over the loaf. Let cool for 15 minutes. Remove loaf from pan to cool completely. — Donna, California

Applesauce Bread

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Mix dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add applesauce, eggs and butter. Combine. Pour into a buttered bread pan. Bake for 45-55 or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. — Donna, California

Banana Bread

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Streusel:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8-by-4 loaf pans. Using a mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Gradually, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until blended. Gradually add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to butter mixture. Beat at low speed until just blended. Stir in bananas, pecans and vanilla. Spoon batter into pans.
For streusel: Stir together brown sugar, toasted pecans, flour, melted butter, and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter in pans.
Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 more minutes before slicing. — Nancy, Virginia

Blueberry orange bread

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup water
2 tbsps butter, melted
2 tbsps grated orange zest
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine the first five ingredient in a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the egg, orange juice, water, butter and orange peel. Add to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.Pour into a greased and floured 8×4 loaf pan. Bake for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan to a wire rack to finish cooking. — Nancy, Virginia

Cranberry orange bread

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease an 8×4 loaf pan. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, beat the egg, orange juice and orange zest. Blend into the dry mixture. Stir in the cranberries and nuts. Pour mixture into a loaf pan. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack and cool completely before serving. — Nancy, Virginia

Pumpkin bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups flour
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour (or spray with Pam) two 9×5×3-inch loaf pans. In a large bow, beat sugar and oil. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift (or mix with a whisk) flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture, half amount at a time. Mix in walnuts or pecans, if desired. Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Use knife around edges and turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely. Makes 2 loaves. — Nancy, Virginia

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