Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake

The holiday guests have left, the decorations have come down. But just because you've changed calendars doesn't mean you have to say farewell to the sharing and warmth that define the holiday season. You can resolve to make the new year a happy one by starting each morning with a sweet, healthy treat that makes the whole day seem brighter—and by spreading the happiness around.

Muffins, quick breads, scones, and coffee cakes are quick and easy to make—they usually require just one bowl for mixing and one pan for baking—and much tastier and better for you than their store-bought counterparts. They fill your kitchen with yummy aromas and turn even cold, gray mornings into celebrations. And they're ideal for sharing with friends, neighbors, and officemates in "random acts of sweetness" that will be remembered long after the last crumb has disappeared. Bake an extra batch for freezing or giving away. Then add juice and freshly brewed coffee or tea to make it a very good morning indeed.

Quick Breads and Muffins

Even if you've never baked in your life, you can enjoy instant success with quick breads and muffins—which are really the same batter baked in different pans. What makes them truly "quick" is the fact that they're made with baking soda, baking powder, or both, rather than with yeast, which takes time to work its magic. Unlike yeast breads, quick breads and muffins require no kneading—just some fast mixing in a bowl. And we do mean fast: the secret of quick-bread success is to avoid overmixing the ingredients, which can create tough, rubbery results. (A few lumps in the batter are perfectly OK.)

Be sure not to overbake, either—follow baking times and test for doneness. To prevent soggy bottoms, remove muffins or quick breads from the oven, cool them slightly in their pans, then turn them out onto a wire cooling rack to cool thoroughly. Or serve them warm with butter, preserves, or Lemon Curd, or all by themselves.

Banana bread and muffins are excellent beginner's recipes that advanced bakers still love to make. (They're perfect for kids, too—they'll love squishing the ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher.) Our Banana Nut Bread is a classic: just moist and dense enough, and enhanced by the rich flavor of C&H Pure Cane Dark Brown Sugar. Our Banana-Raisin Bran Muffins are unusually light and tender, sure to win over even people who claim they "hate health food"; optional additions of granola, orange zest, and walnuts make them flavorful and crunchy.

No fresh berries on the shelves? Go ahead and substitute frozen raspberries or blueberries in this terrific Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffin recipe. It can also be made with a cup of chopped fresh apples or pears. For a heartier offering, try our Pumpkin Bread—made with nutritious pumpkin purée, nuts, raisins, and spices—or Spiced Zucchini Bread, which gets its spiciness from nutmeg (grate your own for even more flavor depth).

Ready to try something more adventurous? Carrot Cake Bread combines the richness of traditional carrot cake with the convenience of a loaf—and you can dress it up with an orange-flavored cream-cheese "frosting." Our Tender Lemon Muffins get their tenderness from yogurt in the batter and their tangy taste from a drizzle of sweetened lemon juice while they're still warm from the oven. And you don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to serve Glazed Orange-Cranberry Muffins—just keep a bag of cranberries in the freezer and chop them while they're still frozen to add to the batter.

Scones—Not Just for Teatime!

Whether you pronounce it "skon" or "skoan," this quintessential English afternoon bread is anything but fussy or upper crust. (It isn't even English in origin—the scone was invented in Scotland, where it's still traditionally made with oats.) In fact, scones are easy and fun to make. The dough is kneaded briefly (just until the dough holds together) before being patted into a circle and cut into circles or wedges. Don't add flour to your countertop as you would for pie pastry, and handle the dough as little as possible. To prevent scorching the bottoms of the scones, place a second baking sheet under the one the scones are on.

Think of scones as baking-powder biscuits made with a little extra butter. Milk, buttermillk, cream, or yogurt contribute tenderness; some recipes require an egg. Traditional additions and flavorings include currants (you can substitute raisins), lemon, and orange; for a pretty presentation, scones can be topped with a glaze or cinnamon sugar.

Cranberry Scones

Our Orange Currant Scones combine two classic scone ingredients, and an orange glaze made with C&H Pure Cane Powdered Sugar gives them a sweet, shiny surface. Apple Pecan Scones are an All-American variation; a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar added before baking makes them fragrant and slightly spicy. And our Lemon Cream Scones, made with whipping cream and golden raisins, are rich enough to serve as a lunchtime dessert or mid-afternoon snack.

Coffee Cake—Nostalgia by the Slice

Nothing says "come over and visit for a while" like freshly baked coffee cake. Although it may evoke images of 1950s kitchens and housewives in frilly aprons, coffee cake is a very good match for busy 21st-century lifestyles. Faster, easier, and more casual than layer cakes, coffee cakes require only basic skills and minimal cleanup. They're meant to be enjoyed over breakfast, brunch, or coffee break, preferably with a cup of good coffee and plenty of good conversation among friends.

Although similar cakes appear in many cultures—babka in Poland, streusel kuchen in Germany, brioche in France—true coffee cake is thought to be an American invention dating from the last quarter of the 19th century. Why? Because in 1859, an American inventor patented the first commercial baking powder, inspiring cooks to create recipes that took advantage of the shortened baking times possible with the fast-acting new leavening agent.

Many popular coffee cakes incorporate a layer of fruit, preserves, or a sweet, crumbly mixture called streusel (German for "sprinkle") that often serves as topping. Our Golden Brown Coffee Cake is a classic streusel cake, baked in a Bundt pan and made meltingly tender by the addition of buttermilk. (Unless the recipe specifies otherwise, most coffee cakes benefit from being baked in a shiny metal pan, which yields a tender, golden crust.) Apricot-Prune Streusel Cake, a 1999 winner of the C&H Baking Contest, includes fruit in the batter and a dusting of C&H Pure Cane Powdered Sugar on top.

Our Orange-Walnut Coffee Cake uses a whole orange—peel, pulp, and juice—along with ground nuts and raisins to create a tangy "bite" of flavor folded into a tender batter. And if you're looking to impress a brunch crowd or book group, look no further than Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake, with its cinnamon-flavored apple slices layered in a rich, orangey batter.

Now that you've got the hang of it, don't stop with the occasional morning treat for your family! Quick breads, coffee cakes, and muffins are always popular at potlucks and bake sales. With very little effort, you may find yourself on the best-seller list!