quick bread

January 26, 2016

Lemon Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze.

As a presumed side effect of all my baking shenanigans over the years, I have come to learn [and accidentally memorize – my memory is weird; I swear I don’t keep creepy files on anyone!] my coworkers’ and friends’ food preferences. Apparently some people don’t like citrus, or at least not in their baked goods. What? Who ARE you people? I really try to be nonjudgmental, as everyone’s tastes are different. I’m also a huge fan of citrus: orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime… I love them all. So, so good. In my cooking, in my baking, in my smoothies, and just in general. Maybe I’m biased. But I just don’t get it. What is not to love about lemon, or any other citrus fruit for that matter?

lemonloaf_cover — {No, the cake doesn’t have Rogue’s Voodoo Doughnut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale in it. Although that does put some fun ideas into my head… I just like using the empty bottle as decoration; it’s such a fun color of bubblegum pink!}

All that to say, if you don’t like citrus – particularly lemon – then you should probably run away from this blog post right now (I’m still trying so hard to not judge, but it’s just one of my weaknesses in this case). Because I’ve already professed my undying love for lemons and citrus fruits – and now I’m about to delve even deeper.

This lemon cake was absolute perfection. I mean it. It’s perfectly moist, tart, and bursting with lemon flavor. It’s apparently a Starbucks copy cat, but I can’t say that I consume Starbucks’ baked goods very often – so I can’t vouch for that comparison. The cake is sweet enough, but not cloyingly sweet. The glaze locks in the moisture and adds the best lemon zing possible. Actually, I took this particular loaf cake to my day job, and I only ended up eating one small slice since I gave the rest away. I’m still kicking myself for that because I really wish I had the opportunity to eat more. Oh well. I guess that’s an excuse for me to make another loaf, huh? 😉

PS: If you don’t like citrus – can you please enlighten me as to why you don’t like the flavor? Despite the fact that this post is riddled with sarcasm, I actually don’t mean to sound snobby when I ask that question. As someone who practically loves every flavor known to (wo)man, I just don’t understand why people don’t like citrus. Seriously. Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂 And I’d also argue that even if you think you don’t like citrus in your baked goods, you should still give this loaf a chance. You might find that you’re pleasantly surprised by it.

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Lemon Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze.
Yield: One 9×5″ loaf.

Ingredients:

For the loaf cake:
– 3 large eggs
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (I used full-fat sour cream, but apparently light is okay.)
– 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
– 2 TBSP. lemon zest
– 1 to 2 TBSP. lemon extract, to taste (Yes, tablespoons; do not use lemon oil or lemon juice in place here; pure lemon extract is necessary.)
– 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 2 tsp. baking powder
– 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

For the lemon glaze:
– 1 cup powdered sugar
– 3 TBSP. fresh lemon juice, or as necessary for consistency

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper (or grease/flour the pan); set aside.
2. To make the lemon loaf: add the eggs, sugar, and sour cream to a large bowl and whisk well until smooth and combined.
3. Drizzle the oil into the first mixture, and whisk to combine.
4. Add the lemon zest and lemon extract and whisk to combine. {Note: You can add a bit less lemon zest/extract than what is called for if you find that it’s too strong. Remember to not substitute lemon oil or lemon juice in the loaf itself. Oil can alter the flavor, as it’s much more potent. Lemon juice has too much acidity and can alter the final results of the cake, so be sure to use pure lemon extract and fresh lemon zest for this!}
5. Next, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir until just combined. Be careful to not over-mix. The batter will be slightly lumpy, but that’s okay; don’t attempt to stir them to make the batter smooth. Pour the batter into your prepared and smooth the top lightly with a spatula if necessary.
6. Bake the loaf cake for about 50-52 minutes, or until the top is domed, set, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. {Note: If you find that the top is getting too browned, simply place a sheet of foil over the pan so it can continue baking through.}
7. Allow the cake to cool in the loaf pan on top of a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack to cool completely.
8. To make the lemon glaze: add the powdered sugar to a small bowl, and slowly add in the lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and combined. Feel free to experiment with the sugar to juice ratios for your desired consistency and flavor. I added more lemon zest to the glaze for aesthetics and an extra burst of flavor. Evenly drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf, then slice and serve. Loaf cake should keep well for several days in an airtight container. Enjoy!

+ Recipe via Averie Cooks.

December 19, 2015

Single Lady Banana Bread.

One of my favorite guilty pleasure* hobbies OF ALL TIME includes listening to copious amounts of rap and hip-hop. Usually I can be found listening to lots of modern songs, but I am gonna go ahead and throw it out there: I have a “2000s Hip-Hop” station on my Pandora account, and it’s one of my favorite playlists to throw on when I wanna get pumped up.

*I actually have zero shame, tbh.

I mean, let’s be honest: who doesn’t like “Laffy Taffy,” “Salt Shaker,” “U and Dat,” and other songs?! They’re just classics for those of us that grew up in the early 2000s.

On the topic of 2000s Hip-Hop, do you remember the song “Independent” by a dude named Webbie? The lyrics are below:

“I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T.
Do you know what that means, man?
She got her own house, she got her own car.
Two jobs; work hard.
YOUSA BAD BROAD!”

Secretly, I’ve always liked to think that song was meant for me. I’ve always been a bit independent to a fault. I have two jobs right now, and I have my own car, and I pay my own rent. I like to think that makes me a “bad broad.” 😛

If you’ve made it this far in this post, you’re probably wondering what in the heck hip-hop music has to do with a food blog or better yet with banana bread. Well, this isn’t just any ol’ nanner bread recipe. This recipe is for one single miniature loaf of banana bread. It’s an adorable, delicious little loaf, perfect for a badass, independent chick (or dude) such as yourself. You could technically share it with your significant other, if you have one and felt so inclined. But it’s also a nice amount for one person.

Well, I’m not gonna lie. I ate the entire loaf in what was probably more than a 24 hour period but less than a 48 hour period of time. It’s juuust the right amount of banana bread to satisfy a craving, plus use up that single overripe nanner that’s sitting on your counter, daring you to use it for something (but of course, one banana is never enough for a regular-sized loaf of bread).

Alright, now that rambling is over, go make a miniature loaf of nanner bread and listen to some good ol’ 2000s hip-hop songs while you’re at it. It’s a great way to use up a banana and feel like a total badass. Winning. 😎

nannerbreadslices — {Cute little slices of nanner bread on my favorite yellow gingham tray!}

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Single Lady Banana Bread.
Yield: One small loaf (a miniature loaf pan’s dimensions are usually about 5 ¾” x 3” x 2”).

Ingredients:
– 1 small (6-7”) over-ripe banana
– 3 TBSP. unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus extra for pan)
– 3 TBSP. granulated sugar
– 2 TBSP. honey
– 1 large egg yolk
– ½ cup all-purpose flour
– 1 TBSP. flax seed meal [Christina uses wheat germ, but I don’t ever keep any on hand. I always have flax seed meal, though. Personally, I think a tablespoon or two of flax seed meal adds a nice, nutty flavor, with the added benefit of some extra nutrition!]
– ¼ + ⅛ tsp. baking soda
– Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 5 ¾” x 3” x 2” mini loaf pan with butter or cooking spray (and a little parchment paper!). Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mash the banana into a puree using a fork or potato masher, if you have one. Next, add the butter, sugar, and honey to it and stir well.
3. Stir in the egg yolk well. Finally, sprinkle in the dry ingredients: flour, flax seed meal or wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pan slightly before moving it to a wire rack. Enjoy!

+ Recipe via Dessert for Two.

May 17, 2015

Peanut Butter Banana Bread. {With Chocolate Chips!}

Do you ever have those times in which you just know something you’re making [or baking, as the case may be] is gonna be good? That was the case with this nanner bread.

Now, this nanner bread isn’t something I’d eat slice after slice of in a row. It’s pretty rich, hence the bananas/chocolate/peanut butter. However, it is really, really good banana bread!

I took some to a little STL foodie get-together at Urban Chestnut Brewery in The Grove, because I needed to pawn it off on people [read: so I wouldn’t eat it all, because I would, despite its richness]. I packaged it up in some simple Saran wrap, but then added some pretty Washi tape and emoji stickers! Yes, emoji stickers are a thing. I found some on Amazon. I know they’re probably a bit ridiculous, but I love them. They’re so fun!

{Photo courtesy of We Eat Stuff STL.} — {Photo courtesy of We Eat Stuff STL. Because they have a WAY cooler camera than me… And they are much better at food photog than I am.}

If you’ve got some overly ripe bananas sitting on your counter, and some creamy Jif [Jif peanut butter is the only peanut butter that matters] sitting in your pantry, well then you should probably make this quick bread. If you know what’s good for ya, of course. Package it up all cute-like, and hand it out to people you barely know! They’ll probably think you’re super sweet [or super creepy; your mileage may vary]! And they’ll snack on it while they wait for their food for 45 minutes. 😀 😉

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Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips.

Ingredients:
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– ¾ tsp. baking soda
– ½ tsp. salt
– 3 medium bananas, mashed
– ½ cup creamy peanut butter
– ½ cup granulated sugar
– ½ cup light brown sugar
– ⅓ cup buttermilk [I used a buttermilk substitute.]
– ¼ cup vegetable oil
– 2 eggs
– 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard sized loaf pan, or cut parchment paper to fit it so that the paper hangs over the sides. Set prepared pan aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate large bowl, beat together the banana, peanut butter, sugars, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Fold together until no raw flour clumps remain. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then smooth the top of the batter. Bake until the loaf is golden brown, and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. This should take about an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes. Note: If your bread is browning too quickly, place a tended piece of foil over it. [I had to do this at about forty minutes, so just keep an eye on it. But don’t open your oven too much.]

6. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The banana bread will keep for several days, wrapped tightly and kept at room temperature.

– Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.