Prune Bread

Aunt Edith's Banana Bread Recipe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


Plums, a stone fruit like peaches, are dried to produce prunes, resulting in dried fruits with a dark, firm flesh and a high sugar content. Prunes are categorized by size, ranging from small to jumbo, with the larger grades having an appealing plumpness. Most of the prunes sold in the United States are produced in California. One of the common plums used is the d'Agen from France. For this recipe, look for prunes sold in airtight packages that help preserve their moisture content. Store at room temperature for up to a month or in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Corn Bread with Corn Kernels

English: Springform Pan with the walls loosened from the finished product. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


Using folding as a technique in baking allows the cook to combine two mixtures or ingredients with markedly different densities. Begin by putting the ingredient or mixture to be incorporated (in this recipe, corn kernels) on top of the batter. Using a large rubber spatula, gently cut down through the center of the batter to the bottom of the bowl and pull the spatula in a circular motion up and over the contents, thereby folding in the corn without overhandling the batter. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the motion. Continue just until the ingredient is evenly distributed.

Oatmeal-Raisin Bread

English: whats4dinnersolutions.wordpress.com/2010/08/14/saturday-m... (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


As the most common dried fruit used in baking, raisins provide intense bursts of flavor. Dark raisins, are made by sun drying grapes, most commonly seedless Thompson grapes. Golden raisins, also known as sultanas, are made with the same grapes as dark raisins, but instead of sun-dried, the grapes are bleached with sulfur dioxide and then mechanically dried in a dehydrator, which produces a plump result. Store both raisin types in covered containers at room temperature for up to a month or in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Pumpkin Bread With Dates

Pumpkin date bread with hazelnuts (Photo credit: Akane86)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


The handsome date palm flourishes in the dessert climates of the Middle East and North Africa and in Southern California. The buttery rich fruits grow in large bunches containing up to a  thousand dates. Varying from oval to elongated, they have a paper-thin skin and a long pit. Dates are classified as soft, semidry, or dry, according to their moisture content. Medjool, Khadrawy, and Halawy are the commonly marketed soft dates. Deglet Noor and Zahidy are the most popular semidry dates. Whole and pitted dates are available year-round.

Orange Nut Bread

Ambersweet oranges, a new cold-resistant orange variety. USDA photo. Image Number K3644-12. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


Citrus juice and zest are popular flavorings in baked goods. When a recipe calls for both, first remove the zest. Scrub the fruit, then pull a zester or a Microplane grater across the rind to yield thin strips of zest while leaving the pith behind. Wider and longer strips may be removed with a paring knife or vegetable peeler, then cut into smaller pieces. Tools for juicing citrus include a handheld wooden reamer, a reamer set into a bowl with a spout, a mechanical citrus press, and an electric reamer. The juice should be strained to remove seeds and pulp.

Italian Almond Coffee Cake

Supermoist banana and almond cake. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


The almond brittle adds texture to a coffee cake inspired by the Italian crostata di ricotta. To make the brittle, grease a baking sheet and a large metal spatula. In a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat, cook 1/3 cup (3 oz/90 g) granulated sugar, shaking gently, until it liquefies and turns golden. Take care not to splash, the sugar will be scalding hot. Remove from the heat and stir in 2/3 cup (3 oz/90 g) slivered blanched almonds. Pour onto the prepared sheet and press with the spatula into a single layer. Let cool to room temperature, then break into 1/2-inch (12-mm) pieces.

Gingerbread With Maple Whipped Cream

It had a nice undertone of spice. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


Among the earliest-known baked sweets, gingerbread is most recognizable as a soft, dark, most cake flavored with dark molasses, ground dried gingerroot, and other spices such as cinnamon. It is related to firm, dry-textured cookies or breads, such as the French pain d' epices and the English parkin. For the best gingerbread, use fresh ground ginger that is gently spicy hot. Keep in mind that spices lose potency after long storage, so before preparing gingerbread, replace any spices that are more than 6 months old.

Chocolate Coffee Cake

Chocolate Carrot Cake (Photo credit: scubadive67)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


Unsweetened cocoa powder is made from chocolate liquor, the base for all chocolate preparations. Once the cocoa butter has been pressed out, what remains of the liquor is ground into a fine powder. Dutch-process cocoa powder is treated with an alkali, which makes it darker in color, less bitter, and richer in flavor than nonalkalized cocoa. Recipes with Dutch cocoa use slightly more baking powder to maintain the proper acid-alkaline balance. Good brands of cocoa include Droste, Poulain, Baker's, van Houten, Hershey's European-style, and Ghirardelli.