PSYCH! It's not zucchini bread!

   Whenever I think I've come up with an fantastically original recipe idea, I just Google it, and discover that hordes of people have had the same idea before me.  That's what happened last week when the thought bubble: "Parsnip Bread" popped into my head.

   I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that the English have been eating cakes and sweets made with parsnips for hundreds of years.  On the savory side, they love their parsnips mashed with leeks; roasted in goose fat for Sunday dinner; and served as part of the traditional Christmas feast. They even make a parsnip wine, similar to sherry.

   To make the parsnip bread pictured here, I just took my standby zucchini bread recipe and added some fresh cranberries and subbed grated parsnip for the zucchini. Here's the deal:

             PSYCH--- IT'S NOT ZUCCHINI BREAD

   Preheat oven to 375

   Chop 1 cup fresh cranberries and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, set aside, stirring occasionally

   Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and toss with a fork in lieu of sifting:

   1 cup all purpose flour

   1/2 cup whole wheat flour

   2 teaspoons baking powder

   1/2 teaspoon baking soda

   1/4 teaspoon salt

   1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

   1/4 teaspoon cloves

   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

   1 cup chopped walnuts

   In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine and mix well:

  1 cup granulated sugar

  2 eggs

  1/2 cup salad oil

  1 cup shredded parsnips

 

   Add cranberries and dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and beat until just combined. Bake in a wax paper lined loaf pan at 375 for 55-60 minutes or until loaf tests done. Cool loaf on a wire rack about 15 minutes, turn out and while still warm, drizzle with:

APPLE CIDER GLAZE

   1/4 cup powdered sugar

   2 tablespoons apple cider

   pinch cinnamon

   In a small bowl combine sugar, cider and cinnamon, stirring until the sugar lumps are dissolved. Pour over warm loaf.

Fruitfully yours,

Karin