All-Bran Banana Bread is a Real Homemade Treat

!±8± All-Bran Banana Bread is a Real Homemade Treat

With rich, sugar-consuming desserts off the list for the duration, women are wondering how they are going to give their meals that extra something that satisfies. One answer is with homemade bread and muffins. When golden brown muffins or fragrant, freshly baked bread are served, no other dessert is necessary.

Fortunately, most of today's tastiest breads are quick bread, which means that they can be turned out in an hour or so. Secondly, they can be piled full of nutrition by using bran or whole grain flours; by adding nuts and dried fruits, and by serving with fresh, creamy dairy butter.

Probably the favorite-of-favorites among homemade bread is All-Bran Banana Nut Bread. Bananas give it a moist sweetness, nuts a crunchiness, and bran a toasted wheaty taste. Sliced and spread with butter, it's delectable.

Whole Wheat Prune Bread is another winner. In this tender textured, deep flavored loaf molasses pinch-hits for sugar, while the prunes do a fine job of flavoring. This, by the way, makes superb cream cheese sandwiches.

Two muffins that deserve attention as dessert substitutes are Apple Corn Muffins and All-Bran Cream Scones. The Corn Muffins, of course, can be baked in a shallow pan, johnnycake fashion, sliced pie-shape and served piping hot with butter. So tasty are the Bran Cream Scones when spread with strawberry preserves or honey, that no one's going to miss those before-the-war pies and cakes.

All-Bran Banana Nut Bread

1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup bran cereal
3/2 cups mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon each, salt and soda
1/2 cup chopped nut meats

Blend shortening and sugar thoroughly; add egg and beat well. Add bran cereal, bananas and flavoring. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and soda together; add to first mixture with nut meats, stirring only until flour disappears. Bake in greased leaf pan (4.5 by 8.5 inches) with waxed paper in bottom, in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) about 1 hour.

Whole Wheat Prune Bread

1 cup sifted enriched flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
5/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup chopped cooked prunes
2 cups sour milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses

Mix and sift enriched flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar; stir in whole wheat flour and prunes. Combine sour milk and molasses; add to flour mixture, stirring only until well mixed. Turn into greased loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches, and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) about 1 hour.

Apple Corn Muffins

3/4 cup sifted flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons shortening, melted
3/4 cup finely diced apple

Mix and sift dry ingredients. Combine egg and milk, and add to flour mixture, stirring only until well mixed; stir in shortening and apple. Turn into greased, shallow pan or muffin pans and bake; in pan in hot oven (400 degrees F.) about 30 minutes; in muffin pans in hot oven (425 degrees F.) about 20 minutes. Makes 8 portions, or 8 medium-sized muffins.

All-Bran Cream Scones

2 cups flour
4 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup bran cereal
1/4 cup butter
2 egg
1/3 cup cream or top milk

Sift flour with baking powder, salt and sugar; add bran cereal. Cut in butter with pastry blender. Reserve small portion of egg white; beat remaining eggs and add to first mixture with cream. Stir until dough is formed. Toss on floured board, knead slightly and roll out to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut in triangle shapes; brush with egg white mixed with 1 teaspoon water, sprinkle with sugar and bake in hot oven (425 degrees F.) about 15 minutes. Makes 12 scones.