I swear I have no idea what has come over me. I have been cranking out loaves in epic proportions. It’s almost as if the loaf pans were on the counter and I just kept using them. Okay, that’s really what happened.
I think I only have about fifty more recipes I want to try. I know….scary.
Anyway, I wanted a dense, cornbread-like-loaf that would go well with chili. This Cranberry-Cornmeal Quick Bread was perfect with lots of different textures from the cornmeal, cranberries and pecans. And right out of the oven, slathered in butter…it was so good.
If you are cooking up chili this weekend or a hearty soup or stew, give this a try.
Let’s make this up…
Here’s what you will need: Unbleached all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, cornmeal, table salt, baking powder, buttermilk, unsalted butter, eggs, maple extract, pecans and dried cranberries. Ingredients not shown: Maple syrup and granulated sugar.
In a large bowl whisk together 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 cup white whole wheat flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together 1-1/4 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, 2 large eggs and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract. Add this mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until blended.
Stir in 3/4 cup chopped pecans and 3/4 cup dried cranberries.
Spoon batter into a 9 x 5 loaf pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray or lined with parchment paper. Arrange pecan halves in row down center of batter.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 60-70 minutes until the top is golden brown and a pairing knife inserted into center of bread comes out clean. Tent bread loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack to cool further.
This is a kicked up version to regular cornbread.
The sweetness of the maple syrup and crunchiness of the pecan and cranberries is a real treat.
Hurry, get the butter.
Cranberry-Cornmeal Quick Bread
Adapted from Bon Appetit
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat white flour or regular whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans plus more halves for garnish
3/4 cup dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)
In a large bowl whisk together both flours, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, maple syrup, eggs and maple extract. Add this mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until blended. Stir in chopped pecans and dried cranberries.
Spoon batter into a 9 x 5 loaf pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray or lined with parchment paper. Arrange pecan halves in row down center of batter.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 60-70 minutes until the top is golden brown and a pairing knife inserted into center of bread comes out clean. Tent bread loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack to cool further.
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