• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden.

* * *

did you know. . .

The edible part of a banana generally does not contain a significant number of pesticides. Nevertheless, in 2006, about 30 percent of the 742 samples tested contained 2 or more pesticide residues. One oddball sample contained 8 residues! Postharvest fungicides were by far the most commonly detected pesticide—66 percent of 742 samples contained thiabendazole and 31 percent showed traces of imazalil.

* * *

dried cranberry and toasted hazelnut macaroons

MAKES 16 TO 18 COOKIES

When I was a child, coconut macaroons were my absolute favorite cookie. With this more grown-up version, I am able to carry my macaroon obsession into adulthood.

2

teaspoons vanilla extract

11/2

cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2

cup hazelnuts, finely chopped

1/4

cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

2

large egg whites

Pinch of salt

2/3

cup sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the vanilla, coconut, hazelnuts, and dried cranberries.

3. In a separate bowl, use a whisk or electric mixer to beat the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the sugar into the egg whites and beat until glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar and then fold in the coconut and hazelnut mixture.

4. Using a tablespoon, drop the batter by the spoonful, 1 inch apart, onto the baking sheets.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Allow the macaroons to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

* * *

did you know. . .

Convection ovens cook food 25 percent faster than conventional ovens. They use a fan to rapidly drive heat from the source to the food.

* * *

zucchini and sweet potato bread with pumpkin seeds and dried cherries

MAKES ONE 9-BY-5-INCH LOAF

This is my favorite bread recipe, period. It’s really an anytime sweet: in the morning for breakfast, slathered with butter; as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea; or after dinner as a dessert. This richly textured bread has so many layers. The crumble topping, the crunchiness of the pumpkin seeds, and the tartness of the dried cherries add a lot of color and texture to this yummy bread, which I make with a garnet yam instead of an actual sweet potato. Make a double batch because it won’t last long on the kitchen counter. And did I mention it is packed with nutrition, even though my daughter calls it cake?

crumble topping

1/4

cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3

tablespoons brown sugar

1

tablespoon pumpkin seeds

2

tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.

2. To make the topping, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin seeds. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.

3. To make the bread, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

4. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the zucchini and yam. Add the flour mixture, pumpkin seeds, and dried cherries and stir well. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.

5. Bake the bread for 1½ hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.

6. Let the zucchini bread cool in the pan before removing it from the pan to serve.

zucchini and sweet potato bread

2

cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4

teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1

teaspoon baking soda

1/2

teaspoon salt

2

teaspoons ground cinnamon

1

cup sugar

1

cup vegetable oil

3

large eggs

2

teaspoons vanilla extract

1

cup grated zucchini (about