Sift the flours, baking powder, and soda together. Add them gradually to the liquids to make a mixture that is slightly wetter than other quick bread batters. Stir in the almonds, reserving 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on the top.

Bake about 45 minutes to an hour. Cool before slicing.

Orange-Rye - 1 cups whole wheat flour - 1 cup rye flour - 1 teaspoon salt - 1 tablespoon baking powder - cup wheat germ - 1 egg, separated - 3 tablespoons oil - 3 tablespoons honey - 1 cups milk - 1 teaspoon anise seeds - 1 tablespoon grated undyed orange rind Reminiscent of Swedish rye bread, but cakier, and wonderfully perfumey.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 4 loaf pan. 4 loaf pan.

Sift the flours, salt and baking powder together, then add the wheat germ.

Beat the egg yolk into the oil and honey. Add the milk, seeds, and orange rind.

Beat the egg white until stiff.

Stir the dry ingredients into the liquids just enough to mix. Fold in the egg white. Spread mixture in the loaf pan and bake about 45 minutes.

Corn Rye - 1 cups rye flour - 1 cup cornmeal - 2 teaspoons baking powder - teaspoon baking soda - teaspoon salt - 2 teaspoons caraway seed - 3 tablespoons oil - 3 tablespoons mola.s.ses - 1 egg - 1 cups b.u.t.termilk Dark and moist and flavorful, this bread is not at all sweet.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 4 loaf pan. Sift the dry ingredients together, adding the caraway seed to the rest after sifting. Beat the oil, mola.s.ses, and egg together, and stir in the b.u.t.termilk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring just enough to mix. Put in the loaf pan and bake about an hour. 4 loaf pan. Sift the dry ingredients together, adding the caraway seed to the rest after sifting. Beat the oil, mola.s.ses, and egg together, and stir in the b.u.t.termilk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring just enough to mix. Put in the loaf pan and bake about an hour.

Cornbreads We'd been told that true Southerners won't touch cornbread made with yellow corn, but at least one authentic Virginian to whom we have an inside line says the crucial factors are fresh fresh cornmeal, cornmeal, coa.r.s.e coa.r.s.e grind, and grind, and no no sweetener, please. We never made perfect cornbread for her until we ground the corn ourselves, and sweetener, please. We never made perfect cornbread for her until we ground the corn ourselves, and voila voila-North and South united in applauding! If the cornmeal is not absolutely fresh, the cornbread will have a slight bitterness from rancidity, which some folks prize and others cover up by adding sweeteners.

"Southern" Cornbread in our kitchen turns out to be our Basic Cornbread, with freshly ground cornmeal and no honey.

Without a doubt, cornbread is the quick bread we make most frequently-most often the Basic recipe, which seems to us the very best of all. It also makes 12 fine m.u.f.fins, when you want m.u.f.fins.

Basic Cornbread - 1 teaspoon salt - 1 teaspoon baking powder - teaspoon baking soda - 2 cups cornmeal - 1 to 2 tablespoons honey - 1 to 2 large eggs, beaten - 1 to 2 tablespoons oil - 2 cups b.u.t.termilk Preheat oven to 425F. Grease an 8 8 pan or m.u.f.fin tin. 8 pan or m.u.f.fin tin.

Sift the salt, baking powder, and soda together and combine with the cornmeal. Mix the wet ingredients together, and then add the dry, stirring just until smooth. Turn into the greased pan and bake about 20 or 25 minutes; a little longer if you added vegetables-or only about 15 minutes for m.u.f.fins.

VARIATIONS.

*If you haven't got any b.u.t.termilk, use regular milk soured with white or cider vinegar (1 tablespoon vinegar plus milk to make 1 cup). Yogurt, beaten smooth, can subst.i.tute for b.u.t.termilk, but depending on how tart it is, increase the honey to compensate: our yogurt is medium-sour and even with 2 tablespoons of honey in Basic Cornbread the bread is downright tangy.

Add 1 or even 1 cups grated raw yellow or green zucchini, for a very moist cornbread-the yellow squash is pretty nearly undetectable, the green very pretty. Or add 1 cup grated carrots, also very pretty. It is not a bad idea to include two eggs (reduce the b.u.t.termilk to 1 cups) when adding the vegetables to help the bread cook well.

This recipe makes a rather coa.r.s.e, grainy-textured bread, particularly when the cornmeal is medium-coa.r.s.e grind. To maximize the graininess, use a very coa.r.s.e cornmeal; let the corn soak in the wet ingredients for an hour or so before you sift the leavenings and stir them in. If you prefer a closer crumb texture, use finely ground cornmeal, or subst.i.tute 1 cup or so of whole wheat pastry flour for an equivalent amount of cornmeal, sifting it with the leavenings. With the whole wheat pastry flour, the texture will be lighter and the flavor less corny, as it is in the next recipe.

Yankee Cornbread - 3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter - 3 tablespoons honey - 2 cups b.u.t.termilk (at room temperature) - 2 large eggs, beaten - 1 cups yellow cornmeal - 1 cup whole wheat flour - teaspoon salt - 1 teaspoon baking powder - teaspoon soda Very sweet and moist, this bread browns beautifully. Let it cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8 8 pan. 8 pan.

Melt the b.u.t.ter and stir in the honey. Combine with the b.u.t.termilk and beaten eggs.

Place cornmeal in bowl and sift flour, salt, and leavenings into it; stir to mix. Add the b.u.t.termilk mixture and combine. Turn into the greased pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes.

Corn Crackers - 1 cup cornmeal - cup whole wheat pastry flour - 1 teaspoon salt - teaspoon baking soda - teaspoon chili powder - 2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese - 2 tablespoons oil cup b.u.t.termilk It's hard not to use too many superlatives about these crackers. They are super.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Measure the cornmeal into a bowl and sift in the flour, salt, baking soda, and chili powder. Stir in the cheese along with any bran that might have been left behind in the sifter from the flour.

Mix the oil and b.u.t.termilk, and add to the dry ingredients, forming a soft, moist dough. Form into two b.a.l.l.s.

Use two well-greased large (12 18) baking sheets without sides. Flatten the b.a.l.l.s one at a time, and roll them out to cover the baking sheets-if you have the persistence, they will. Use a piece of waxed paper on top to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. With a pizza cutter, a spatula, or any other method you want, score the rolled-out dough into cracker-sized pieces. 18) baking sheets without sides. Flatten the b.a.l.l.s one at a time, and roll them out to cover the baking sheets-if you have the persistence, they will. Use a piece of waxed paper on top to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. With a pizza cutter, a spatula, or any other method you want, score the rolled-out dough into cracker-sized pieces.

Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, being very careful not to let them get more than delicately brown. being very careful not to let them get more than delicately brown. The recipe makes about eighty 2-inch crackers, depending on how thin you were able to roll them. Please don't let them burn. The recipe makes about eighty 2-inch crackers, depending on how thin you were able to roll them. Please don't let them burn.

A small aside: Should you be tempted cleverly to invert a baking sheet that does have sides, using the back, be warned that unless you support the pan completely under its middle, you will end up after much effort with crackers very thick in the middle of the pan and very thin at the edges, and you with a high level of frustration. (Ask me how I know.) m.u.f.fin Recipes Nearly everyone enjoys m.u.f.fins. They are a friendly and comfortable sort of bread, quicker than loaves both in the baking and in the serving: no slicing required, eat them hot from the oven.

For complementing a menu of soup and salad, consider savory m.u.f.fins instead of sweet ones. We include a couple of good recipes in the pages that follow, and you can easily take off from there. (Most quick loaves, for example, make fine m.u.f.fins.) If you use our loaf recipes for making m.u.f.fins, you may end up with some extra batter: either make a few more m.u.f.fins, or bake the remaining batter in greased custard cups. If you find yourself with unoccupied s.p.a.ce in your m.u.f.fin tin, the old trick of pouring cup warm water in the unused cups is a good one. It protects the pan and may actually help the m.u.f.fins cook better.

Our recipes fill what used to be a normal m.u.f.fin tin, one with small cups that hold just over cup by measure. For the now-normal larger-size m.u.f.fin tins-they hold nearly cup in each dip-double the recipe to make 12, and give them a couple of minutes more in the oven. If you want to supersize to what our friend Mickey calls "Alaskan" m.u.f.fin tins (a full cup per dip), they make about 4 m.u.f.fins from one of our recipes, and take 5 to 10 minutes longer to bake.

Basic m.u.f.fins - 1 cups whole wheat pastry flour - 1 teaspoons baking powder - teaspoon salt - teaspoon cinnamon (optional) - 2 tablespoons powdered milk - 3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter, room temperature, or oil - 3 tablespoons honey or light mola.s.ses - 1 egg - cup raisins, chopped - cup water - cup chopped nuts (optional) Tasty and quick; serve these piping hot for a light but satisfying complement to a simple meal.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 12-cup m.u.f.fin tin.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Cream the b.u.t.ter and honey, or stir the honey into the oil. Beat in the egg and add the raisins and water. Stir the dry ingredients into the liquid, mixing enough to moisten. Fold in the nuts, if you want to use them. Spoon into the m.u.f.fin tin.

Bake 10 to 14 minutes, or until the center springs back when pressed. If you use honey rather than mola.s.ses, and pastry flour ground from white wheat, the m.u.f.fins will be quite pale.

ORANGE-APRICOT m.u.f.fINS.

Omit the cinnamon and subst.i.tute orange juice for the water. Use cup chopped dried apricots instead of raisins-if they are hard, steam or soak them in hot water before chopping them. These m.u.f.fins are very good without eggs and b.u.t.ter: use oil, and increase the orange juice by cup.

FRUIT JUICE m.u.f.fINS.

Omit milk powder and subst.i.tute any fairly sweet fruit juice for the water.

FRESH FRUIT m.u.f.fINS.

Fold cup chopped fresh fruit into the basic batter. Vary the spices: with apples, use cinnamon; with peaches, nutmeg is just right; ginger complements pears very nicely. If the fruit is not very sweet, increase the honey by a tablespoon or so.

Best Bran m.u.f.fins - 1 cup whole wheat flour - 1 teaspoon baking soda - teaspoon salt - 1 cups bran - 3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter or oil - 2 tablespoons brown sugar*

- 2 tablespoons mola.s.ses - 1 egg - 1 cups b.u.t.termilk This is a mighty fine recipe. We think it supplies everything you could want from a bran m.u.f.fin. Make 12 of them, or try 6 m.u.f.fins and a 3 7 loaf. Or bake a few m.u.f.fins and store the batter in the refrigerator for as long as ten days, using it as you need it. The tiny loaf makes a nice tea bread with a creamy tofu or cheese-and-fruit spread, or with nut b.u.t.ter. 7 loaf. Or bake a few m.u.f.fins and store the batter in the refrigerator for as long as ten days, using it as you need it. The tiny loaf makes a nice tea bread with a creamy tofu or cheese-and-fruit spread, or with nut b.u.t.ter.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease pan or pans.

Sift flour, soda, and salt together, and stir in the bran. Beat b.u.t.ter or oil and sugar and mola.s.ses together, and add egg and b.u.t.termilk. Mix dry ingredients into liquids. Place in the pan or pans you have prepared, filling m.u.f.fin tins about three-quarters full. Bake m.u.f.fins 15 to 20 minutes; the loaf about half an hour.

VARIATION If you like raisins or currants in your bran m.u.f.fins, don't be shy about stirring cup of either into the batter. If you like raisins or currants in your bran m.u.f.fins, don't be shy about stirring cup of either into the batter.

Peanutty Corn m.u.f.fins - cup whole wheat flour - 1 teaspoon baking powder - teaspoon baking soda - teaspoon salt - cup cornmeal - cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped - 1 tablespoon oil - cup unsalted peanut b.u.t.ter (crunchy is best) - 2 tablespoons honey - 1 cups b.u.t.termilk - 1 egg, slightly beaten Tried and true, and a sure hit with the younger set.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 12-cup m.u.f.fin tin.

Sift flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, and stir in the cornmeal and peanuts. (You can skip the peanuts if you don't have any handy, but they do add charm.) Beat together oil, peanut b.u.t.ter, and honey. Add b.u.t.termilk and egg. Stir dry ingredients into wet, mixing until barely smooth. Spoon into m.u.f.fin cups and, if you like, sprinkle more chopped peanuts on top. Bake in hot oven 12 to 15 minutes.

Cheese m.u.f.fins - 2 tablespoons minced chives or onions - 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter or oil - 1 egg - 1 cups b.u.t.termilk - cup grated Swiss cheese and teaspoon dill weed or parsley OR OR - cup grated cheddar cheese and teaspoon mustard - 2 cups rolled oats - cup whole wheat flour - teaspoon salt - teaspoon baking soda - 2 teaspoons baking powder Use a good robust cheese in these or the flavor won't come through. These are great favorites.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 12-cup m.u.f.fin tin.

If you use chives, they need not be cooked, but the onions are best when sauteed until soft in the b.u.t.ter or oil. Let the sauteed onion cool before adding to the batter.

Beat the egg, b.u.t.ter or oil, and onion or chives together. Stir in the b.u.t.termilk and seasoned cheese.

Blend the oats in blender to make about 1 cups of floury meal-or use 1 cup oat flour and cup rolled oat flakes. Sift the other dry ingredients together and then stir in the flakes. Add the dry ingredients to the cheese mixture, stirring just enough to mix.

Spoon into the m.u.f.fin tin and bake about 15 minutes. These m.u.f.fins are a pale, creamy color on top, and golden brown on the bottom and sides when done.

Zucchini Cheese m.u.f.fins - 2 tablespoons minced onions - 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter or oil - 1 egg, slightly beaten - cup oat flakes - cup grated Swiss cheese - 1 cups grated zucchini - cup water - 1 cups whole wheat flour - teaspoon salt - 2 teaspoons baking powder Like the previous recipe, but a good vehicle for the Green Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 12-cup m.u.f.fin tin. Saute the onions in b.u.t.ter or oil.

Mix the egg, b.u.t.ter or oil and onion, and oats together. Stir in cheese, zucchini, and water. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture, stirring just enough to mix.

Spoon into the m.u.f.fin tin and bake 20 minutes.

Blueberry m.u.f.fins - 1 cup blueberries - cup whole wheat pastry flour - 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour - 1 teaspoons baking powder - teaspoon salt - teaspoon cinnamon - cup wheat germ - 3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter or oil - cup brown sugar*

- 1 egg, lightly beaten - cup milk These are not your ordinary pale, puffy, supersweet blueberry m.u.f.fins; they are brown, spicy, and wonderful. Steam-softened currants can sub for the blueberries when they are out of season, but we confess that we have made these m.u.f.fins successfully with frozen and canned berries, as well as fresh. As usual, pastry flour is best for m.u.f.fins, but in these, regular flour works too.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 12-cup m.u.f.fin tin.

Wash and drain the berries. Sprinkle with the cup flour and let them sit while you prepare the batter.

Sift together the remaining flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add the wheat germ.

Cream the b.u.t.ter and sugar (or honey), and beat in the egg. (If oil is used, just beat them all together.) Add the milk and dry ingredients, stirring just enough to mix somewhat, and then fold in the berries. Spoon into m.u.f.fin cups-fill them nearly full-and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one m.u.f.fin comes out clean.

Date-Nut m.u.f.fins - 1 cups whole wheat pastry flour - teaspoon salt - 2 teaspoons baking powder - teaspoon baking soda - cup chopped dates - cup chopped nuts - cup wheat germ, or bran - 3 tablespoons light mola.s.ses - 2 tablespoons oil - 1 cup apple juice - 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind - teaspoon allspice Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 12-cup m.u.f.fin tin.

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and soda. Stir in the dates, nuts, and wheat germ. Beat the remaining ingredients together until smooth, then combine all, stirring just enough to mix. Spoon into m.u.f.fin cups and bake about 15 to 20 minutes.

VARIATION Instead of apple juice, use b.u.t.termilk and add an egg. Reduce the salt to teaspoon. For a Date-Nut Loaf, bake this version in an 8 Instead of apple juice, use b.u.t.termilk and add an egg. Reduce the salt to teaspoon. For a Date-Nut Loaf, bake this version in an 8 4 loaf. Bake at 350F for about 55 minutes. 4 loaf. Bake at 350F for about 55 minutes.

Maple-Pecan m.u.f.fins - 1 cups whole wheat flour - 1 teaspoons baking powder - teaspoon salt - cup chopped pecans - cup maple syrup - 2 tablespoons soft b.u.t.ter or oil - 1 egg - cup water - 1 teaspoon vanilla These are subtle and slightly chewy, much lighter than the usual praline-like maple confections.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 12-cup m.u.f.fin tin.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir in nuts. Beat syrup and b.u.t.ter or oil, and add the egg. Add water, vanilla, and the dry ingredients, stirring just enough to mix. Spoon into m.u.f.fin tin, and bake 12 to 15 minutes.

* If you don't have cream of tartar, use teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoons baking powder. If you don't have cream of tartar, use teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoons baking powder.*Again, brown sugar really does work better in this recipe, but honey or all light mola.s.ses can be used instead.*Honey is good too, but in this recipe, brown sugar is better.

How to Slice a Brick

Dear Laurel,I've been trying for months now to learn how to bake whole-grain bread. When my loaves don't make it I just throw them into the freezer and keep going. I have a freezer full of bricks now, but I'm determined not to give up. Any advice would be welcome-on baking bread, or using up bricks.K.C.

How many doorstops can you use, really? Sooner or later, some of that good food gone awry must be used constructively (and not for construction either). Until the fine points of breadmaking are perfected, here are a few ploys that can help.

First of all, the point must be made: bread does not have to be light to be good. There are a lot of people who prefer it hefty; maybe you are one of them-though probably you wouldn't be reading this if you were. People who like heavy bread don't use the word bricks. They take the gourmet stance, waft their French vegetable knives, and demand of their guests, have you ever tasted such flavorful bread? Usually it is is delicious. If anyone asks, you can say it is Eastphalian Pumpernickel. delicious. If anyone asks, you can say it is Eastphalian Pumpernickel.

But maybe the whole thing has gone beyond humor; maybe, say, there is someone in your family who has to face the critical eyes of fellow sixth-graders and so must have sandwiches as much like store-bought as possible... or someone else may just want sandwiches that don't look like they were made on theater tickets. Try this: the technique is as effective as it is screwy-remember, we've had plenty of bricks to practice on in the last decade or so!

Cut your brick in half, making two squarish pieces. Now stand one of the squares on its cut side, and starting parallel to the (former) bottom of the loaf, slice downwards, cutting about four 4-inch square slices, quite thin. Repeat with the other half. Voila! Voila! Respectable slices, elegant sandwiches. The crust pieces will be formidable, I admit. Our dogs consider this sort of thing to be the last word in treats-cut them into milk-bone sized bars. By this technique you can usually count on getting eight acceptable slices and a lot of doggie treats from one dud of a loaf. Not bad and better luck next time! Respectable slices, elegant sandwiches. The crust pieces will be formidable, I admit. Our dogs consider this sort of thing to be the last word in treats-cut them into milk-bone sized bars. By this technique you can usually count on getting eight acceptable slices and a lot of doggie treats from one dud of a loaf. Not bad and better luck next time!

A word of encouragement: we were just working on the Loaf for Learning section when the letter from K.C. arrived. We sent a few suggestions from Loaf and very soon another letter arrived, enclosing a picture of a beautiful, beaming K.C., holding in one hand a brick-and in the other, a high, perfectly baked loaf. Before and after! It was grand.

Refreshing Leftover Loaves Heavy or light, when a loaf has lost its just-baked appeal, it may not be stale, actually, it may be asking only for a little refreshing to bring it back to goodness. A trick that works amazingly well is to wrap the loaf in a towel dampened with hot water and wrung out. Put it in a covered ca.s.serole or wrap it in foil or put it in a clean brown bag, and warm it in the oven at medium heat for 15 or 20 minutes.

The steaming can be done on top of the stove, too, and even faster. Put the wrapped bread in a perforated pan or steamer basket over boiling water. Adjust the towels, water level, and the heat so that you end up with hot, soft, unsoggy bread, and no burned towels: it may take a little fussing, but the results are very dependable once you work out your system. This procedure is useful not only for refreshing tired loaves, sliced or unsliced, but also for warming rolls or heating up m.u.f.fins and cornbread.