Bamboo Spoon Award: Breads

Here are the recipes of the two breads of our last Bamboo Spoon Award.

Winner first:

Meg's Strawberry Bread

Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe

Ingredients

About 2/3 cup whole strawberries

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 cup whole milk, room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp (plus more to butter pan)

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temp

2 large egg whites, room temp

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Butter pan.

Place strawberries in food processor and process until pureed. It will be about 1/3 cup of puree. If you want, feel free to add a few more strawberries! Set aside. In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix milk, vanilla and strawberry puree, set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture and mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture and mix until just blended. Slowly add the remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended. Pour batter into pan evenly and cook for about 25 minutes or until when pierced with a fork the fork comes out clean.

Li's Sweet Potato Bread with Pecans & Vanilla Icing

Adapted from Bill kelly's original recipe

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

2/3 cups water

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup applesauce

4 eggs

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (3-4 large ones)

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Vanilla Icing

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

water as needed

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a spatula. Slowly add water by the tablespoon until you get a yogurt like consistency. Spread on cooled breads.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine sugar, water, oil, eggs, and sweet potatoes, applesauce and mix thoroughly. Sift all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to wet gradually. Mix gently to combine. Do not over stir. Fold in pecans. Divide between 2 greased loaf pans and bake for 50-65 minutes, or until tester comes out dry. Cool in pan to room temperature for 15 min then on a cooling rack for another 20 min. Brush icing on bread and let set. Repeat as many times as desired. Buon Appetito!.