The best of all thing about neighbors is the
faqt that they’re there. Right next door to you. And
they stop in for coffee. And thus begins a sweet
time to sit back and take another look at the day.
It also is the time that cements friendships. The
confidences shared over a second cup of coffee —
along with recipes and advice on child-rearing —
turn acquaintances into “best of all” friends.
Whether they telephone ahead to ask if the
coffeepot is on or suddenly knock on your back
door, you can have “coffee and ...” on the kitchen
table in minutes with one of these recipes.
The cooling loaf fresh from the oven will go like
lightening, but the second loaf can go into the
freezer. If you divide that loaf into coffee party
portions before you freeze it, you can defrost what
you please at a doorbell’s notice.
CRANBERRY BANANA TEA BREAD
l3A cups sifted all-purpose % cup sugar
flour 2 well-beaten eggs
3A teaspoon soda 1 cup mashed ripe
1Vt teaspoon cream of banana (2 or 3)
tartar 1 cup cubes of jellied
Vi teaspoon salt cranberry sauce
Vs cup butter
Heat oven to 350°. Sift together flour, soda,
cream of tartar and salt. Beat butter until creamy.
Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well. Add flour mixture alter
nately with bananas, a small amount at a time, beat
ing after each addition until smooth. Very carefully
fold in cranberry sauce cubes. Turn into well
buttered loaf pan, 8J»x4J*x3 inches and bake in
1 moderate oven, .350°, about 1 hour, or until bread
is done. Makes 1 loaf.
QUICKIE CEREAL BREAD
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 Mi teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Vi cup sugar
1 well-beaten egg
V* cup milk
V* cup molasses
M cup melted butter
Vi cup chopped raisins (optional)
1 cup whole wheat flake cereal
Sift flour together with baking powder, salt and
sugar. Combine egg, milk and molasses. Add to
flour mixture. Add butter, then mix only enough to
dampen flour. Fold in raisins and cereal.
Bake in buttered 8 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pan, in 350°
oven until done, about 1 hour. Cool. Wrap in damp
cloth or waxed paper and store several hours or over
night before slicing.
STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE
1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup milk
V* cup lukewarm water Vs cup butter
1 package dry yeast Vt cup sugar
Hi cups sifted all-purpose 1 teaspoon salt
flour 2 eggs
Dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in lukewarm water.
Add yeast. Let stand 10 minutes. Scald milk. Cool
to lulcewarm. Stir yeast solution thoroughly and add
to lukewarm milk. Stir in IK cups flour; beat until
smooth. Cover and let rise in warm place until
light (about 45 minutes).
Cream butter; add K cup sugar and salt and com
bine with yeast batter. Add eggs and beat thor
oughly. Stir in remaining flour. Mix well.
Spread dough in two well buttered shallow pans
(7xllxlK"). Cover and let rise in warm place
until light (about 1 hour). Add streusel topping.
Bake in 400° oven for 18 minutes.
Streusel Topping
Vi cup flour Vi cup softened butter
cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Blend all ingredients to crumbly mixture and
sprinkle over calces.
RAISIN SWIRL LOAF
1 cup milk 314 cups sifted all-purpose
3 tablespoons butter flour
3 tablespoons sugar Milk
1 teaspoon salt Vs cup sugar
1 large egg H4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 package dry yeast 1 cup light or dark
3 tablespoons water raisins
Bring milk rapidly to a boil. Remove from heat
and stir in butter, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt.
When mixture is lukewarm add beaten egg and yeast
softened in water. Add flour to make a moderately
stiff dough.
Knead lightly, return to pan, cover and let rise
until light and double in bulk, about IK to IK hours.
Turn out on floured board and roll into an oblong
about 7 x 21 inches. Brush entire surface with nfilk
and sprinkle with K cup sugar and cinnamon. Cover
1 Lopped raisins, pressing them gently
Starting from the narrow edge roll up tightly, as
for a jelly roll, keeping ends of roll pushed in (so roll
is no longer than the baking pan). Seal lengthwise
seam and ends by pinching dough together.
Place, seam side down, in well-buttered 10 x 5 x
3-inch bread pan. Brush top of loaf with oil and let
rise until double in bulk and rounded up over top
of pan, about 1 hour. Bake in 375° oven 35 to 40
minutes. Brush baked loaf with butter. Cool thor
oughly before storing.