Coffee Cakes and Quick Breads: Make Them Ahead for Holiday Breakfasts

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, oats, crumbs, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk and eggs. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Serves 16.

"Relish the Healthy Table," February 2007.

Per serving: 190 calories, 9g fat, 4g prot., 26g carbs., 1g fiber, 130mg sodium.

2 cups finely chopped pitted dates (about 10 ounces)
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup unsulfured molasses
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, at room temperature
2⁄3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecan halves, chopped

1. Mix dates, milk, butter and molasses in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir until butter melts and mixture begins to simmer. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl, and cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
3. Stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.
4. Whisk the egg, sugar, and vanilla until blended well. Add to date mixture; stir well. Add pecans and flour mixture to date mixture; stir until well-blended. Spoon into prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Serves 12.

Recipe by Bruce Winstein and Mark Scarbrough, "Hot Dates," New American Farmers, November 2007.

Per serving: 330 calories, 13g fat, 5g prot.,54g carbs., 4g fiber, 210mg sodium.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 medium, ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped salted macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. Cream butter with sugar. Add eggs, bananas and vanilla. Mix until blended.
3. Dissolve baking soda in 2 tablespoons water and add to banana mixture. Process for a minute or so. Sift together the flours, salt and baking powder. Fold into banana mixture. Pour into loaf pan.
4. Sprinkle macadamia nuts on top, gently pressing them in. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Reprinted with permission from Joan Nathan's New American Cooking (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005). "This and That, "March 2006

Streusel:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Cream Cheese:
4 ounces light cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cake:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 cups pitted cherries (about 10 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
2. To prepare the streusel, combine flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until crumbly. Stir in almonds.
3. To prepare the cream cheese, combine cream cheese and granulated sugar; stir until smooth.
4. To prepare the cake, beat butter, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla and almond extracts until evenly blended. Turn to low speed, add flour, baking powder and salt alternately with milk; beat until blended. Pour into prepared pan. Top with small spoonfuls of cheese mixture. Top with cherries and sprinkle with streusel.
5. Bake 50 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm. Serves 9.
Recipe by Jean Kressy, "Relish the Season," July 2007.

Per serving: 290 calories, 13g fat, 5g prot., 41g carbs., 2g fiber, 200mg sodium.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup grated orange rind
1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans.
2. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add sugar, egg, butter, hot water, orange juice and grated orange rind; stir until moistened. Fold in berries and nuts. Spoon into pan and bake 50 minutes (or 35 minutes for mini loaves). Cool; wrap and refrigerate or freeze.

Recipe courtesy of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, "Relish America's Harvest," Nov. 2006.

Per serving: 170 calories, 6g fat, 3g prot., 30g carbs., 1g fiber, 240mg sodium.

Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/3 cup 2% low-fat milk

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray.
2. For the topping, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in walnuts.
3. For the cake, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Beat butter with a mixer at medium speed about 30 seconds or until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat 3 to 4 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and bananas and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, mixing after each addition only until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle with topping.
5. Bake about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 10.

Recipe by Greg Patent, "Relish the Season," March 2007.

Per serving: 370 calories, 20g fat, 4g prot., 48g carbs., 1g fiber, 300mg sodium.

1 (20-ounce) can chunk pineapple, packed in juice, drained
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons gold rum
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2⁄3 cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2⁄3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
2. Combine pineapple, brown sugar, rum and cinnamon in pan.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat until blended. Stir in cranberries. Pour over pineapple mixture.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Serves 8.

Recipe by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, Relish the Holiday, "Wake Up Call," December 2007.

Per serving: 230 calories, 6g fat, 3g prot., 37g carbs., 1g fiber, 220mg sodium.