My slow cooker gets a workout! I use it several times a week!
It really makes the best soups, stews and even desserts!
Here are five more tips to make your slow cooker work culinary magic for you...
1. Don't put frozen food in your slow cooker
Frozen food lowers the cooking temperature too much and can promote bacterial growth in foods.
2. As tempting as it might be, try not to lift the lid too many times while food is cooking.
Lifting the lid disrupts the slow cooker's steam-condensation cycle and it will take longer for food to cook.
3. Use only wooden, plastic or rubber utensils in a slow cooker.
Metal utensils can scratch and damage the surface of a slow cooker. I've learned the hard way!
4. Look for new and interesting slow cooker recipes that come from reliable sources.
Most people make the same handful of slow cooker meals over and over again... no wonder we get bored with this handy appliance!
Get adventurous and try new and different ingredients!
BEST TIP! 5. Slow cookers make fabulous moist desserts!
One of the biggest strengths of a slow cooker is their ability to make scrumptious cakes, sweet breads, cheesecakes, pudding cakes, quick breads, bread puddings, tiramisu, cooked fruits, brownies and more.
Below is a recipe for a moist and delicious seasonal bread!
Slow cookers can turn out fabulous meals with very little effort! So work to your cooker's strength and avoid its weaknesses it will reward you with deliciousness!
SLOW COOKER BUTTERMILK PUMPKIN BREAD
This pumpkin bread uses very little butter and no oil. Steam gives it its moist texture. And buttermilk add to its wonderful flavor!
2 TBS butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add 1 egg and beat until well mixed.
Add pumpkin and buttermilk and beat until mixed together.
In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
Add to pumpkin mixture in two batches and beat until just blended.
Put the pumpkin bread batter in a greased loaf pan that fits in your slow cooker. If your slow cooker is round a clean coffee can can be substituted.
Put the pumpkin bread batter in a greased loaf pan that fits in your slow cooker. If your slow cooker is round a clean coffee can can be substituted.
Grease a loaf pan and pour in pumpkin bread mixture.
Grease the non shiny side of foil and put over pan, shiny side up, securing tightly.
Add 2 cups of water to the slow cooker and add the loaf pan.
Put on the slow cooker lid and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours on high.
Take loaf pan out of the slow cooker and turn the pumpkin bread out onto a cooking rack.
Delicious served warm with whipped cream, ice cream or in a puddle of creme anglaise.
I'm dying to find new slow-cooker recipes!! I'll have to look through yours. I
ReplyDeleteNever would have guessed you could make pumpkin bread in one! But I did just manage bread, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore!
Good Afternoon Yvonne, I use my slow cooker on a regular basis, but I have never thought to try making cakes using the slow cooker. This is exciting and I am going to try your recipe. Thank you for giving me another use for my slow cooker. Best Wishes Daphne
ReplyDeleteYour pumpkin bread recipe sounds delish! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, Yvonne, for using a slow cooker. The pumpkin bread recipe sounds wonderful! I'll have to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteYour pumpkin bread recipe sounds delish! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love my crock pot like my children! almost!
ReplyDeleteI may try that pumpkin bread recipe!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your prayers. My tests, biopsies, and all were good and no cancer! Praise God!
Praise God,Ginny.That is always great news!
DeleteWow,I'm going to try this for sure,I love to cook in my slow cooker,now I can do desserts too.Thanks for the great tips.
ReplyDeleteI use my crock pot quite a bit but like you said, I make the same things over and over. Never thought of pumpkin bread. Sounds good.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, I'm off to buy buttermilk. I never thought about making bread in my crock pot.Thanks for sharing. Leslie (aka Gwen Moss)
ReplyDeleteIm in desperate need of a new cooker! The lid came off mine and its such a hassle to open it now and HOT! Too bad they dont see replacement lids, bc the cooker still works great :( Your's looks pretty lovely... maybe Ill have to look for one like it.
ReplyDeletethanks for the tips! I love slow cookers...but I have to admit I go through times when I use it a lot, and times that I don't use it!
ReplyDeleteI am making the bread when I get home from our girls weekend. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI have never thought to cook a cake or bread in the slow cooker. I will have to see if I have a loaf pan that fits in my slow cooker. Thanks!!!! Hope to SEE YOU SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne: I love my slow cooker also. This time of year it is so handy and I love it for camping. Such good food without using the tiny oven. Your picture is so pretty with the polka dot bow around the bread. Looks like a great recipe. Thank you for leaving such nice comments on my Autumn post..Happy Weekend..Judy
ReplyDeleteYvonne~ I've glanced at slow cooker baking recipes but it never occurred to me you put a loaf pan in your slow cooker! I'm going to have to see if I have a pan that will fit or improvise, I have some open pumpkin in the fridge I need to use right away! Love your bow-tied loaf :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Yvonne, great tips, some I knew but had sorta forgotten, whoops! And never knew you couldn't put frozen food in, whoops again! I want to try that pumpkin bread soon!
ReplyDeleteJenna
Bookmarked it, and I cannot wait to try this one! Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeletexo,
RJ
The pumpkin bread looks wonderful. I have never made any kind of bread in a slow cooker, so I'm going to have to try this out!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, Yvonne! I pulled my slow cooker out for the first time this season on Sunday for a pork shoulder. I never thought of making desserts in it! This recipe looks so delicious.
ReplyDelete