The crust is the foundation of most pie recipes and many of those recipes call for the crusts to be blind baked. Blind baking is when you partially bake (or sometimes fully bake) the crust before adding the filling, which helps ensure that the finished pie and crust combination will both be completely cooked through.

Most pastry doughs have layers of butter or other fats that are intended to make the baked pastries tender and flaky. They also tend to puff up during baking if they aren’t weighed down – so bakers tend to use pie weights to keep the crust in place while its in the oven. You can buy pie weights at most baking stores, but dried beans are a commonly recommended substitute. But what if you don’t have beans to use as pie weights? Learn how to use rice as a pie weight instead!

Rice is extremely easy to use as a pie weight and it is my go-to when it comes to baking pie crusts. You will need 1-2 cups of uncooked rice to weight down your pastry for an average 9-inch pie. To use the rice as a pie weight, roll out your pie crust and shape it into your pie dish. Gently press a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the unbaked crust, then fill the foil with the uncooked rice. Bake the crust as directed by your recipe.

When the crust is baked – either partially or fully – lift out the aluminum foil and pour the uncooked rice into a plastic bag or small storage container to use for the next time. You can use parchment paper in place of foil, but the foil is a bit easier to press into the corners of the pie and will often give you better coverage. There is no need to grease the foil, since there is plenty of butter or other fat in your pastry crust already.

Rice works beautifully here for a few reasons. First, even more people have rice on hand than uncooked beans. Second, the rice really fills the pie crusts evenly, getting into small corners where beans and other pie weights find it difficult to fit. Finally. uncooked rice has very little moisture, so it doesn’t change shape and cools down easily after baking.

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On a hot summer day, few things are more refreshing than a slice of cool, fresh watermelon. In fact, one of the only things more refreshing than the melon itself is a generous serving of homemade Watermelon Granita! Granita is a semi-frozen dessert made by freezing a mixture of water, sugar and flavoring (usually fruit puree or fruit juice) and stirring as it freezes to created a crystalline, slightly chunky mixture. The result is somewhere between sorbet and shaved ice, and it is a terrific way to turn fresh fruit into a summer dessert.

This Watermelon Granita starts with fresh watermelon, and plenty of it. The melon is pureed with a little bit of lime juice, some sugar and a pinch of salt. The lime and salt help to boost the natural flavor of the watermelon. The sugar is added both to enhance the sweetness of the melon – because frozen foods like ice cream and granita often taste less sweet because they are so cold – and to enrich the texture of the granita and make it creamier.

Once everything comes together into a smooth puree – and this can be done easily in a food processor or a blender – the mixture can be poured into shallow dish and placed into the freezer. I stir my granitas every 20-30 minutes as they freeze, to spread out the ice crystals as they form. This helps aerate the granita so that it is easier to scrape and serve. If you don’t mind putting a little elbow grease into your scraping, you can allow the mixture to freeze solid, then use a sharp spoon to scrape the granita into crystals when you’re ready to serve it. It will depend on your freezer and how deep your dish is, but it typically takes about two or three hours or so to freeze the granita.

You’re going to get the best results from this recipe if you start with a really good melon, of course, but turning an average melon into granita is a fabulous way to improve it. If your melon is on the bland side when you start, add an extra pinch of salt or a few extra tablespoonfuls of sugar. Serve this dessert at the end of any summer meal! You can also top it with a shot of rum or splash of champagne to turn it into a summery cocktail!

Watermelon Granita
8 cups watermelon, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend at high speed until very smooth.
Pour into a flat, shallow dish (such as a pyrex baking dish ) and place the dish flat in the freezer.
Stir granita once every 20-30 minutes to evenly distribute the ice crystals. When granita is almost entirely frozen, about 2-3 hours, it is ready to be scraped out with a large spoon into serving dishes.
Granita can also be stored in the freezer, covered, for at least a week if you want to make it in advance.

Serves 6

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I love it when I have lots of time to devote to baking up elaborate desserts, but most of the time I appreciate a baked good that comes together quickly and easily. After all – I always have time for something easy to put together, don’t you? This Quick One Bowl Lemon Loaf Cake couldn’t be easier to put together. It mixes up in one bowl and takes a bit less than an hour to bake, so you don’t have to wait long to enjoy a moist loaf cake that is bursting with lemon flavor.

The cake starts out with sugar and lemon zest. These two ingredients are whisked together to draw the lemon oils out of the zest. This gives you a more potent flavor than simply stirring zest directly into your batter. The other ingredients are added to the lemony sugar, including a generous amount of fresh lemon juice to add more citrus flavor, as well as buttermilk to tenderize and enrich the batter. I also added a splash of vanilla extract to add a hint of floral sweetness to the cake.

I often get asked how many lemons are needed for this recipe. The answer is that it depends on your lemons. At the peak of citrus season, lemons are bursting with juice and you might get away with just two large lemons. Other times, you may need four or more lemons to get as much juice as you need. When in doubt, be sure to have an extra lemon or two on hand! Fresh lemon is the key to getting the best flavor in this recipe, since you need both the juice and the zest.

After baking, the cake is topped with a lemon glaze that bumps up the citrus flavor and adds an additional bit of sweetness to each piece. You can skip the glaze if you prefer a plain cake, but it really adds a nice punch. To dress up the cake, top the glaze with a handful of yellow sprinkles or even some coarse sanding sugar for a bit of sparkle!

Quick One Bowl Lemon Loaf Cake
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest (1 lemon)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.
In a large bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest and beat with an electric mixer for about 1 minute, releasing the lemon oils from the zest.
Blend eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract into sugar mixture. Blend in buttermilk and lemon juice. Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then whisk until batter is uniform and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Let the cake to cool in the pan for at least 15-20 minutes. Then, use the parchment paper to lift out the cake and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze, combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Start with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and gradually add in a second until the glaze has a thick, yet pourable, consistency. Pour over cooled cake.

Makes 1 cake; serves 10.

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Waffles are something that I probably don’t treat myself to often enough. But waffles are an easy breakfast dish that we all should be making more often. After all – if you have a waffle iron, why not put it to good use? These Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles are delicious, easy to make and packed with enough whole grains that you can feel good about eating them any time you’re in the mood for a waffle. The waffles are made with whole wheat flour as a base. Whole wheat flour has a bit of a reputation for producing heavier baked goods, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be used to make a light, fluffy waffle if you’re using the right recipe.

This waffle batter is easy to make and basically comes together all in one bowl. It uses whole wheat flour, along with a generous dose of buttermilk, vanilla extract, melted butter and a touch of sugar. The small amount of sugar in the recipe helps to balance out the stronger flavor of the whole wheat flour.

These waffles are surprisingly light, given that they’re made with only whole wheat flour, with a crisp exterior and a tender interior. The whole wheat flour gives the waffles a slightly nutty flavor that, in my opinion, makes them pair even better with maple syrup than your average waffle recipe. That being said, I also included an optional addition of ground cinnamon. It adds a bit of extra dimension to the waffles for those who aren’t necessarily big fans of whole grains and might need a little bit of persuasion to give these a try.

The cooking times for these waffles will vary slightly depending on the waffle iron that you use, so follow the directions from your manufacturer for best results. That said, you can use this recipe with any waffle iron. I made these waffles using a Belgian-style waffle iron, but you can cook them in a more traditional iron, as well. No matter how you cook them, serve them up with a pat of butter and a generous pour of real maple syrup. Fresh berries can make a nice addition when they’re in season, too!

Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, optional

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in eggs, melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla extract (and cinnamon, if using) and whisk until batter is smooth and uniform.
Preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturers’ directions and, if it is not a nonstick iron, lightly grease with cooking spray. Fill waffle maker with batter (typically from 1/2-cup to 1 cup, depending on the size of the iron) and cook until golden on both sides, about 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4-6 large waffles.

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Fruit crumbles are easy desserts to make all year round because you can use either fresh or frozen fruit as your base. This Chai Cherry Crumble is a spicy twist on a classic fruit crumble, with chai spices in the filling and topping of this comfort food dessert.

Cherries are often left almost unadorned in pie and crumble fillings. They do have a delicious flavor on their own, of course, but cherries are extremely versatile and they go really well with all kinds of spices. Chai tea blends have no shortage of spices. Since I didn’t want to add a bunch of liquid to my filling – cherries produce plenty of natural juice on their own in the oven – I simply used dried spices to add those familiar chai flavors. The filling includes cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice and vanilla. As always, I recommend using fresh spices for the best flavor (not something that has been in the cabinet for a few years already!). Since there is so much spice in the filling, I used a bit less on in the crumble topping, which only includes cinnamon, ginger and vanilla.

I used black, sweet cherries that I picked up in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s. They have a delicious flavor and I like that rich cherry sweetness in this particular dessert. Tart cherries, which are a good choice for a pie, don’t feel as rich in this recipe with all of the chai spices. Whether you’re using fresh or frozen, cherries give off a fair amount of juice in the oven, so I included cornstarch in the filling to thicken up the juices. They will bubble thickly in the oven when the crumble is done, and the filling will thicken up even more as the crumble cools.

The crumble is ready to serve about 20 minutes after baking. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in the microwave the next day or two. The spices blend and come together even more after the crumble has been refrigerated. That said, I can’t resist eating at least two servings when this is fresh from the oven. The crumble will serve about 8 – but you’ll get fewer servings if you like yours as big as I do!

Chai Cherry Crumble
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract

32 oz cherries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, prepare crumble topping. Whisk together flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon and ginger until well-combined. Stir in melted butter and vanilla extract until mixture is crumbly and resembles moist sand. Set aside.
In a large bowl, prepare the filling. Combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, spices and vanilla extract and stir together with a spatula until everything is evenly mixed.
Pour fruit mixture into a deep 10-inch pie plate. Grab handfuls of crumble mixture and squeeze them in your fist to create large crumbles. Sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over fruit.
Bake for 60 minutes, until cherry juice is thickly bubbling around the outer edge of the pan. In the event that the crumble becomes too brown, simply lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the crumble for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Allow crumble to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving to allow juices to thicken. Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in the microware before serving.

Serves 8.

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Cranberry orange bread has long been a holiday tradition in my family, and in fact was one of the earlier recipes I shared on this site – about 16 years ago! Zesty orange and bright cranberries are a natural pairing. These Cranberry Orange Cake Bars take those classic flavors and combine them in a cake-like bar cookies that are wonderful addition to any holiday cookie plate.

One of the nice things about bar cookies is that they’re quick to make and even easier to share than a loaf cake. These bars are no exception.
The bars are cakelike and tender, almost more like pound cake than a brownie or regular cookie. They will just seem to melt in your mouth, leaving you with the delightful flavor of orange and cranberry. They include fresh orange zest, whole cranberries and dried cranberries. The whole cranberries are tarter than the dried, while the dried are sweeter and chewier for a nice contrast with the fresh fruit.

Like a classic pound cake, these bars don’t contain any leavening. The eggs in the batter add just enough air into the batter to give the cake an extremely tender crumb and a perfectly light texture. So don’t think it’s a typo that this recipe doesn’t contain baking powder or baking soda! The batter comes together very quickly and it will be ready to go into the oven in minutes.

I like to line the baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to make it easy to remove the bars from the pan for slicing. Let the bars cool completely before slicing. I’ll slice one pan into about 20 pieces for easy sharing. If you want to make these bars the centerpiece dessert at a holiday dinner, cut them into larger slices and serve them alongside a small scoop of ice cream or whipped cream!

Cranberry Orange Cake Bars
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×9-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, butter, orange zest, vanilla extract and salt. Add in flour and whisk to combine, stirring just until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in cranberries and dried cranberries.
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until bars are golden and set. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Makes 20 squares.

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As a coffee-lover, it’s no surprise that I also love cocktails that incorporate coffee into them. Espresso martinis, as popular as they are at the moment, have been a favorite of mine for years. This Orange Chocolate Espresso Martini is a variation on the original that is a liquid version of the classic flavor combination of orange and chocolate. I particularly like to serve this drink around the holidays, but it’s enjoyable all year round.

The cocktail is made with chocolate liqueur, vodka, creme de cacao, espresso and triple sec. The espresso should be cold before going into the drink, so it doesn’t melt the ice when you’re mixing. Espresso will give you the best flavor, but cold brew coffee or other very strong coffee can be used in a pinch. There is plenty of chocolate flavor from the chocolate liqueur and creme de cacao, both of which add enough sweetness that you don’t need to add additional sugar to the drink. Triple sec, an orange liqueur, adds a nice orange flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.

The orange twist at the end of the recipe may just seem like a nice visual to add to the drink, but a twist is more than that. The twist is made of a 1/2-inch by 2 inch (approximately) strip of orange zest. The twist should be squeezed in half, expressing orange oil over the top of the drink before serving, before being dropped into the drink or laid over the rim of the glass. That orange oil coats the top of the drink and really gives the cocktail a bright, fresh orange aroma. In other words, you’ll smell orange, but still taste plenty of chocolate from the cocktail.

This recipe makes one cocktail, but you can easily scale it up to serve more. Don’t put more than two drinks at a time in your cocktail shaker, as it will be too full and too difficult to shake. If you are serving a crowd, however, you can prepare the martini glasses well in advance so you’re ready to fill them up when friends and family are ready to drink!

Orange Chocolate Espresso Martini
1 3/4 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
3/4 oz vodka
1/2 oz creme de cacao
1 oz espresso or strong coffee, cold
1/4 oz triple sec
Chocolate sauce, for garnish
Sugar, for garnish
Orange twist

Pour 2-3 tbsp of chocolate sauce onto a small plate, warming slightly if needed to make it a pourable consistency. Pour 2-3 tbsp of sugar onto a second small plate. Dip the rim of your martini glass into the chocolate sauce, then dip into the sugar. Set aside until ready to fill.

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 10-20 seconds, until cold. Strain into prepared martini glass.

Serves 1.

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Flourless chocolate cake is a dessert that everyone should learn how to make. It’s a cake that doesn’t require very many ingredients, so you will probably always have what you need to bake one already on hand. And since it is simple, it’s not difficult to put your own twist on them. This Cranberry Flourless Chocolate Cake is perfect for the holidays. It adds sweet-tart cranberries to a melt-in-your-mouth flourless chocolate cake for a dessert that is downright addictive.

The cake batter for this Cranberry Flourless Chocolate Cake comes together easily, and in just a few minutes. It is made with dark chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs and cocoa powder. It has a rich, satisfying chocolate flavor because chocolate is the bulk of the cake. This also means that you’ll really be able to taste the depth of flavor from the chocolate that you use, so this is a great recipe to splurge with high quality chocolate in the the batter. The cake is also gluten free, which means that it will fit a variety of dietary needs, too.

Whole cranberries are folded in to the batter just before the cake goes into the oven. The cranberries have a bright, tart flavor that adds a wonderful contrast to all that chocolate. There are just enough cranberries that you should get one in every bite or two, giving the cake a great balance.

I really prefer using fresh cranberries in this cake over frozen ones. They have a slightly better texture because they don’t release too much extra liquid into the cake. That said, you can use frozen cranberries. If you do, mix them in quickly so they don’t thaw before the cake gets into the oven. You will also need to extend the baking time by 2-3 minutes.

The cake should be cooled completely before serving, but will keep for 2-3 days after baking when stored in an airtight container. Serve it at room temperature or slightly warmed, alongside a generous scoop of whipped cream.

Cranberry Flourless Chocolate Cake
4-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (approx. 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup whole, fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Line an 8-inch cake pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly grease.
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt together chocolate and butter, stirring with a fork until very smooth.
Pour warm chocolate mixture into a medium mixing bowl with sugar. Whisk to combine. Beat in eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been fully incorporated to add the next, then mix in vanilla extract. Sift cocoa powder into the bowl and whisk until well-combined. Fold in cranberries until evenly distributed.
Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake for 25-27 minutes, until cake is set and cranberries are bubbling slightly.
Allow cake to cool completely in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper or aluminum flour. Slide cake onto a serving platter using a large spatula.

Serves 8-10

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The holiday season is all about cookies, and as much as I love other desserts, I’m always looking for new cookie recipes to bake and new cookie treats to try. I couldn’t resist Trader Joe’s Cookie Mug Hangers when I spotted them while out shopping. These adorable gingerbred people are cut to fit over the rim of most mugs, accessorizing your coffee, tea or hot cocoa with a sweet and friendly holiday face.

The cookies are sold in a package of 16, which is plenty for most gatherings. That said, you’re probably going to want to keep a box for yourself because these cookies are absolutely delicious. The gingerbread people are very crisp, but very tender. They have a great balance of sweet and spice, with nice punches of cinnamon and mace over a molasses backdrop. The spacers where they are designed to slip over the rim of a mug are generous, so they should fit over all but the chunkiest of handmade mugs. I found that they were particularly delicious with hot cococa topped with whipped cream or marshmallows, but I also enjoyed them with plain black coffee in the mornings. I’m not exaggerating when I say that their smiling faces were a fun holiday pick-me-up with my morning coffee!

In short, these are excellent cookies that look great and taste even better. This isn’t always the case with gingerbread people – nor with cookies that have a decorative purpose. I’ll be stocking up on a few extra boxes to enjoy into January.

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Pumpkin pie is a wonderful dessert, but it isn’t the only treat that you can make with pumpkin during the fall baking season. Pumpkin can be incorporated into a wide variety of muffins, breads and cakes. It can also work its way into fall versions of even more classic desserts, such as a creme brulee. My Vanilla Bean Pumpkin Creme Brulee puts a seasonal twist on a timeless classic, adding pumpkin puree and a bit of spice for a dessert that captures the fall flavors you love in an elegant way.

This creme brulee is flavored with vanilla bean and a little bit of nutmeg, but also contains pumpkin puree. Vanilla bean really gives a beautiful flavor to any milk or cream based dessert, and it uplifts the pumpkin puree, keeping the dessert feeling rich but light. Nutmeg enhances the vanilla bean without making the custard to spice-heavy. As much as I enjoy pumpkin pie spice, creme brulee isn’t a dessert that you want to turn into a spice-bomb.

Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which may contain additional sweeteners in it. Pumpkin puree should be nothing more than pure pumpkin! Most commercially made pumpkin purees will be quite smooth, but the custard should be strained before baking just to ensure it doesn’t contain any lumps.

The custards can be prepared a day or so in advance and stored in the refrigerator, but they should be bruleed just before serving. For the brulee, a generous amount of sugar should be added to the top of the custard and spread (or shaken) until it is even. Then, the sugar can be caramelized with a kitchen torch until it is golden. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can pop the custards until a hot broiler for a minute to caramelize them.

And if you love the idea of a brulee, but you just can’t help yourself from sticking with a pumpkin pie for your next pumpkin dessert, let me point you in the direction of my Bruleed Pumpkin Pie, which features a caramelized topping exactly like the one you would find on a creme brulee. It’s an easy variation on a traditional pie and one that will make your dessert a little bit more memorable!

Vanilla Bean Pumpkin Creme Brulee
1/2 vanilla bean
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
sugar, for topping

Preheat oven to 300F. Arrange six, shallow 6-oz ramekins in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Split vanilla bean and use the back of a knife or a spoon to scrape out the vanilla bean seeds. Add vanilla bean seeds and pod to heavy cream and milk. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes.
After vanilla has finished steeping, remove vanilla bean pod, then bring back to a simmer
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, egg yolks, pumpkin and nutmeg.
Slowly stream the hot milk mixture into the pumpkin mixture, while whisking continuously to temper the eggs without cooking them. Strain pumpkin custard through a fine strainer into a large measuring cup to remove any lumps.
Divide the pumpkin mixture evenly between the prepared ramekins. Fill the baking dish containing ramekins with hot water, until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the custards are set. (if using deeper ramekins, baking time will be slightly longer and yield will be one less). Allow them to cool in the water bath, then refrigerate until cold (at least 2 hours). Custards can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Just before serving, top each custard 1-2 tsp of sugar, turning the ramekin to coat the surface of the custard.
Caramelize sugar with a kitchen torch or by putting ramekins under the broiler for about 1 minute, watching closely.

Serves 6

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Cool fall and winter mornings always get me in the mood for baking. A freshly baked quick bread or batch of muffins to start the day any time of the year, but we all know that baked goods are even more enticing during the end-of-year baking season. This Coconut Cranberry Oatmeal Bread is a perfect addition to any fall or winter breakfast – even if you end up baking up the loaf the night before and not the morning of! Packed with tart cranberries, sweet coconut and nutty oatmeal, my Coconut Cranberry Oatmeal Bread is a moist, delicious way to start your day.

This quick bread is very simple to put together. The dry ingredients are combined with the wet ingredients, then the butter is folded in at the end. Folding the butter in at the end of mixing tenderizes the batter before it goes into the pan to bake. It’s a great technique for many quick breads, which are easy to both under and over-mix in search of a tender crumb. It is seasoned with cinnamon and a generous splash of vanilla.

The batter includes a generous amount of sweetened shredded coconut, quick cooking oatmeal and whole cranberries. The coconut and oatmeal both add their own unique nuttiness to the bread. The oatmeal gives the loaf a pleasant density while the coconut adds just the right touch of extra sweetness to contrast with the bright, tart cranberries that dot each slice. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries in this bread, and both types can be used whole.

This loaf has a long baking time due to all those mix-ins, so don’t hesitate to give it a few extra minutes in the oven if your tester/toothpick doesn’t come out clean when your oven timer goes off. The bread is ready to eat has soon as it has cooled. Bake it early in the morning to serve for brunch, or the night before so it is ready to eat when you get up!

Coconut Cranberry Oatmeal Bread
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk (lowfat is fine)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in sugar and coconut.
In a medium bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla extract until well combined. Whisk in butter.
Pour butter mixture into dry ingredients and stir until just combined and only a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in blackberries and pour batter into prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer with a spatula.
Bake for about 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Turn loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf.

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It’s tough to choose between pumpkin and apple desserts when it comes to fall baking. I say why not bake up one of each? These Mini Apple Spice Cakes, topped with a rich Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, are the perfect addition to any fall breakfast or brunch. They are loaded with apple and warm spices, sure to be a hit on a cool fall morning.

The Mini Apple Spice Cakes are easy to make quick breads that only take a few minutes to put together. The batter includes both brown and white sugar, along with a generous amount of cinnamon, ginger and cloves to spice it up. I used shredded apple – not apple sauce – because it gives the breads a great texture, while helping keep them moist. You don’t need to peel your apples before shredding them, as any bits of peel will be small enough that you won’t notice them in the finished cake.

The cream cheese frosting is an optional topping for these cakes, but I really recommend it. The tangy cream cheese pairs very well with apples in all kinds of cakes, not just this one, and the cinnamon ties in nicely with those apple spices. You can add on a thin layer if you want to keep things simple, or dress them up with a swirling design like I did above to make these loaves particularly eye catching.

These loaf cakes are perfect for a fall weekend brunch or holiday breakfast. They smell amazing when they’re baking and are really packed with fall flavors. The mini loaves are big enough to stand out in a sea of muffins on a brunch platter, too. They’re big enough to share – but you can treat yourself to a whole one with a big mug of coffee or tea if you feel like treating yourself.

This is one recipe where I’ll whip up a double (or triple) batch to hand out as holiday treats to family who come over to visit – a great take home treat size. If you plan to give them away, look for single-use mini loaf pans that you can bake directly in, wrap up and pass out!

Mini Apple Spice Cakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup shredded apple (not applesauce)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease three 3×5-inch mini loaf pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by shredded apple and vanilla extract. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk. Stir in the remaining flour mixture and mix until no streaks of flour remain.
Divide batter evenly into prepared mini loaf pans.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow loaves to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
5 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk
1 – 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Blend in cinnamon, vanilla extract and milk. Gradually add in confectioners’ sugar until frosting is thick and spreadable.
Apply to cooled cakes.

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