Why are quick breads essential to quarantine baking? Because they are QUICK!
But they are so much more than just fast!
Yes, quick breads are lightening fast to make, and totally easy to throw together, with ingredients almost always on hand. But they also (thankfully) don't require yeast, don't require any rise time like standard breads, and they don't require any fancy equipment. They can be made in a loaf pan just as easily as they can be made in muffin tins, a square or round cake pan, or even in an iron skillet in a pinch. It doesn't get much faster or easier than that!
As we are all still dealing with various stages of quarantine, finding ways to use up the last of a bit of fruit, veggies, nuts or chocolate, has become all too familiar a task. Food waste being at the top of the "don't even think about it" list, combined with trips to the store no longer a daily option, have made quick breads a hero in our house! There is almost always a loaf on the counter these days, and it isn't a coincidence that banana bread was the first official Ginger post, because quarantine baking calls for quick breads more so than almost any other project.
Last night, I found myself pacing the floor. Not yet ready for bed, not wanting to dive back into another black hole of netflix, the boys were pretty much down their own rabbit holes of minecraft and channel flipping, so I was on my own.
I walked to the pantry and after rustling through my stock nothing really appealed to me.
Scones? maybe.
A layer cake? Negative, that would keep me up too late, and I just wasn't feeling it.
Muffins would be perfect! Something I could make now, that would lure everyone to quickly shuffle out of their nests in the morning. I had half a pint of blueberries in the fridge to use up, so this was a no brainer.
I rallied all the troops, and threw together my basic quick bread batter which I now know by heart. Grabbed the blueberries out of the fridge, then, for good measure, I grabbed the half a lemon left over from Sunday cocktails, to give the bread a little sunshiney OOMPH.
I carefully folded in the berries, and gave the lemon a good squeeze and a quick zest and reached for the muffin pan. Shit! As I pulled the pan out, I remembered I had also used the last of the paper liners a few weeks ago and forgot to buy more. I know you can make muffins without liners...but I honestly don't do that. EVER.
I am far too lazy to clean a muffin pan when it has baked on muffin gunk in those little individual wells from hell.
OK, plan B. Blueberry Quick Bread. Still good for breakfast and honestly, even frickin easier than the muffins, done and done!
In the oven it went, and as the smell of the bread started making its way through the house, Red suddenly appeared as if by magic in the kitchen.
Suddenly Minecraft was not as interesting as the alluring aroma of blueberries and he was there to offer his specialized taste testing services.
The bread came out and as soon as it was cool enough to cut into, we had a snack so damn good, we decided to have another. Next thing we know half the loaf is gone, and he missed bedtime by a solid hour. But man!! There is nothing in this world as cozy as watching my son perched on the counter, long legs dangling, having an almost-midnight- snack and chatting away.
If, like me, you have a kid suddenly reaching the age where they give you one word answers and the art of conversation feels long gone, go ahead and make them a loaf of this bread. Get out a couple glasses of milk, and let them talk through big bites of blueberry deliciousness.
Or, if you are just looking for something quick and easy for breakfast, or a midnight snack, this is the ticket! It is absolutely freaking delicious, super moist and bursting with blueberry flavor, if a couple of them burst and drip down the top of your loaf, that just adds to the allure. It sounds weird to call a quick bread sexy, but this one is!
This is also super flexible, you can sub raspberries, blackberries, or even chocolate chips with equally good results. You can add nuts or poppy seeds, orange or lime zest, the list goes on, get creative and you may surprise yourself! If you have frozen berries, that is ok too! Use the frozen berries, no need to even thaw them. See? I told you this was quick and easy! Now let's get to making this! Quick, Quick! Vite, Vite!
Rally the troops:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
1/3 cup milk
Juice and zest of half a lemon (optional but highly delicious)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Get some Quick Baking done!
Preheat oven to 350.
Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray or butter generously. Set aside
In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a whisk until well combined. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, using a sturdy wooden spoon or hand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs and yogurt until well blended and fluffy.
Add in the flour mixture all at once, fold over a few times to combine, add the milk and then mix again, very well.
Stir in the lemon juice and zest, once all the juice is absorbed and the zest is incorporated, fold in the blueberries gently.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake on center rack for 50-55 mins.
Check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer (this is a little too deep for the toothpick test) into the center. When removing it should be clean, or have a bit of crumb or blueberry juice, but no batter.
The top will crack and be golden brown with golden cake peeking through.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for about 10 mins, then invert on to a wire rack to finish cooling...or place directly on to cutting board and eat warm.
This is great warm, room temp, or cold from the fridge. It is crazy how something this quick can be so perfect. Enjoy!
Let me know what changes you make to this, I want to hear how you play with your food!
Thanks for playing in the kitchen!
XOXO, Ginger
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