Date nut bread, sounds dead-good-for-you-serious, doesn’t it? That is until you taste it. Plump and moist and chock full of goodies. I make it with spelt flour too, so it’s a win-win.

Ingredients:
1 cup diced dates, packed
1 cup dark or golden raisins
2 1/2 cups flour, all purpose, whole wheat pastry or spelt (as always, spelt is my favorite)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup hot strong tea, decaf ok

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Mix the first set of ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the second set of ingredients in another bowl. Combine both mixtures, making sure not to overmix. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan, or 6-cup loaf pan, and bake 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Muffins: Pour the batter into greased muffin molds (about 12 medium) and bake 30 minutes

~ Recipe submitted by Lévana Kirschenbaum of www.levanacooks.com

1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg ( i never put this is)
1/4 tsp ginger
4 TBSP marg/butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup pumkin puree (fresh mashed or canned)
1/3 cup milk
frosting

in side bowl, mix flour, baking soda, powder, salt and spices
in mixing bowl beat butter ad sugar. add egg. beat well. beat in pumpkin puree. add dry ingredients alternating with the milk until well blended.
pour in muffin plans. fill about 2/3 full otherwise they will over flow!!!
bake at 350 for 15-20 min.
cool and frost.

~ Recipe submitted by Yocheved Wylen

For the chocolate cupcakes I used a duncan heines mix, the dark chocolate fudge one. The frosting is a basic butter cream recipe but I substituted the margarine with peanut butter.

Butter Cream Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
About 2 tablespoons milk/ or water or soy milk can be used

Peanut Butter Frosting: Substitute peanut butter for the butter. Increase milk to 1/4 to 1/3 cup.

Be sure to put on the sprinkles before the frosting hardens!

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

this recipe yields about 1 1/2-2 dozen muffins, but I made a dozen muffins and a small cake (7 inch cake pan)

Muffins:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar (can use 1 cup white and 1 cup brown but make sure to sift the flour afterwards as the brown sugar tends to clump)
1 TBS. pumpkin spice (can alternate with 1 tsp. cinnamon AND 1 tsp. ground cloves)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup (not one can) canned or cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup veg oil (can sub with applesauce)
2 cups finely chopped apples (cored and peeled)

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup sugar
1 heaping tablespoon flour
4 tsp. cold butter or margarine
1 tsp. cinnamon

1. Mix flour, sugar, spice, b.soda and salt. In another bowl, combine egg, pumpkin and oil until it forms one smooth texture.
2. Stir the puree into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill muffin cups 2/3.
3. In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon.
Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
4. Bake at 350′F for 35-40 min. Cool 5 min before transferring to wire rack.
Note: If you are making a dozen muffins and a small cake, fill muffin cups 2/3 of the way as suggested, then pour remaining batter into 7 inch pie pan. Sprinkle both muffins and cake with streusel topping. Bake the cake about 5-10 mins longer.

~ Recipe submitted by Kseniya

When my sister in law served this at her Shabbat meal several months ago, I was hesitant to have a taste since Zucchini was one of the ingredients. If it had been a kugel, then I would not have given it a second thought, but Zucchini cake? After my husband rolled his eyes I realized I was being childish and gave it a try. After that first bite, I had 2 slices!

This recipe can be served as muffins, as a side dish in a loaf pan or for dessert in a bundt pan! It is fluffy and moist with a hint of cinnamon.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs (or 1 cup egg beaters)
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini (3 small or 2 medium zucchini peeled) - BUT, YOU DON’T HAVE TO PEEL THEM - TASTES GREAT EITHER WAY.

Directions:

Blend the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together. Ad all the dry ingredients and then add the zucchini last. Mix well.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes in 2 greased 10 ” loaf pans, or bake for longer in one bundt pan.

(Bake it until it is browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean).

-  Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

pretty cupcakes….great recipe…duncan hines…lol

Frosting:
3 oz. semi sweet baking chocolate
2 Tbsp. stick butter or margarine
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Put ingredients into saucepan. Put over low heat, until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Then use as glaze over cake or cupcakes.
enjoy!

~ Frumie Goodman

1 Cup corn meal
1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup sugar - or less
1 /2 TBS baking powder
1/2 Tsp salt
1 12 oz pkg. frozen winter squash
2 eggs
1 cup soy milk or coffee rich (i use soy milk and it tastes gr8)
3/4 cup oil
cinnamon

preheat oven to 350
grease muffin tins, or if you are using the cupcake papers, grease them lightly
combine top 5 ingredients
defrost squash according to package directions
combine squash, eggs, soy milk & oil in a bowl
add dry ingredients, mix very well
fill up tins 1/2 way or to your liking
sprinkle the tops with cinnamon
bake for 25 mins
ENJOY!

~ Arly Mandelbaum

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

~  Recipe submitted by Chai Lichtenstein

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

~  Recipe submitted by Chai Lichtenstein