Best Christmas Loaf Recipes

LAST-MINUTE CHRISTMAS LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Tip the fruit and peel into a bowl with the orange juice and zest and 150ml of the brandy. Stir well, then leave in a warm place for 2 hrs for the fruit to plump up.
• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 4. Brush a 900g loaf tin with the melted butter, then line with baking parchment. Beat the muscovado sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the fruit and the rest of the ingredients except for the remaining brandy and icing sugar. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin, put the tin in a deep tray and bake for 1 hr 15 mins-1 hr 30 mins or until a skewer prodded in comes out clean. Remove from the oven and immediately pour over the brandy (this makes it easier for the cake to soak it up). Leave to cool, then dust with icing sugar, if using.

CHRISTMAS GIFT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture alternately with the pumpkin puree, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of the walnuts until evenly distributed. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan, and sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the top.
• Bake for 65 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. Cool, then remove from the pan, and drizzle with icing.
• To make the icing, stir together the confectioners' sugar and heavy cream with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg until smooth.

A CHRISTMAS STORY MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place a rack in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; place a 12x8-in. piece of foil in center of rack. In a large bowl, combine eggs, ketchup, onion, green pepper, crushed saltines, salt and pepper. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Place over foil rectangle and shape into a 9x6-in. loaf. Bake until a thermometer reads 160°, 50-60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing., Transfer meat loaf to a serving plate, discarding foil. Pipe or spread 1 cup mashed potatoes over meat loaf. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with remaining mashed potatoes.

CHRISTMAS CRANBERRY-PERSIMMON LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and dust the bottom with flour.
• Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Add walnuts and cranberries; toss or mix using your fingers to ensure cranberries don't stick together.
• Whisk eggs, brown sugar, and oil together in a medium bowl until eggs are well beaten. Stir in persimmon pieces followed by flour mixture. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Slide a knife around the sides and slide loaf out onto the rack to finish cooling, 15 to 30 minutes more, before cutting.

CHRISTMAS LOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°.
• Grease 2 loaf pans.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Mix flour, baking soda and salt.
• Add to creamed mixture alternately with bananas.
• Stir in coconut, almonds, cherries and dates.
• Pour into pans.
• Bake for 55 minutes, until pick comes out clean.
• Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pans.

CHRISTMAS CINNAMON LOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Mix together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.
• Roll dough to a 12x10-inch rectangle.
• Top with sugar mixture.
• Starting at one long side, fold dough in thirds to enclose filling.
• Pinch seam tightly to seal.
• Pinch ends and tuck under.
• Set on baking sheet, seam-side down; cover with plastic wrap.
• Place in a warm spot; let rise for 30 minutes to an hour, until doubled in size.
• Remove plastic wrap.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, until puffed and golden.
• Blend confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.
• Spread over still-warm loaf.
• Cut into slices.

CHRISTMAS CRANBERRY ORANGE LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender,chop pecans and then chop cranberries. Set aside. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl. In another bowl, cream sugar and butter together. Add egg, buttermilk, orange zest and vanilla. Combine the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Add the pecans and cranberries to the mix. Put in a loaf pan and cook for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for overnight or freeze it for future use. It's delicious!

FRUIT & NUT CHRISTMAS PUDDING LOAF

Steps:

• Put the dried fruit, cherries, apple, zests, apple juice, brandy and Cointreau in a large bowl. Microwave on High for 1 min, then leave to soak overnight.
• Butter and line a 2lb loaf tin with a strip of non-stick baking paper. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the kettle on to boil and have a roasting tin, plus a sheet of buttered foil, ready.
• Beat the butter and sugar together until it turns a little paler, then stir in the eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, syrup, spices, salt, soaked fruit and the nuts. Spoon into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Scrunch the foil loosely over the tin, twisting corners to tighten it around the tin's edges. Sit it in the roasting tin, then pour in a few cms of boiling water. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 40 mins.
• After 40 mins, turn down the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for another 1½ hrs, topping up the water level every now and again.
• To reheat the pudding, either return it to a medium oven for 30 mins in its tin, or turn out onto a serving plate, cover loosely with cling film and microwave for 5 mins on Medium. For the topping, gently heat the butter, sugar and syrup together until the sugar dissolves, stir in the brandy, then tip in the nuts and fruit. Spoon over the hot pudding and dust with a little icing sugar, if you like.

CHRISTMAS LUNCH LOAF

Steps:

• Fry the onions in the butter for 15-20 mins until golden and softened. Butter a 900g loaf tin and put in the fridge to chill.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and work everything together to form a large meatball. Remove the loaf tin from the fridge and transfer the mixture to it - it will look like a lot, but should all fit if you pack it in. Use a spatula to shape the top, so that it resembles a loaf of bread.
• Cover with foil, then bake for 1 hr, or until the loaf reaches 70C on a meat thermometer. Heat grill to medium, then grill the loaf for 5-10 mins until golden on top. Leave to rest in the tin for 20 mins, then carefully tip the loaf onto a carving board or platter. Serve in slices with the usual trimmings, gravy and bread sauce.

CARROT CAKE - FRUITED CARROT LOAF OR CHRISTMAS MUFFINS

Steps:

• In bowl: beat eggs until smooth and creamy, add sugar, oil, milk, vanilla and beat well.
• In large bowl combine and whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• Make well in dry ingredients, add the egg mixture mixing until thoroughly combined.
• Stir in grated carrots, coconut, raisins and pecans.
• Pour into two greased loaf pans ( approximately 9 x 5 and preferably lined) baking in a 350 oven 60 - 70 minute. (ovens vary).
• Remove from oven, place on wire rack until cooled completely.
• Remove from pan, wrap in foil, refrigerate overnight before slicing.