The following “CHEW THIS!” column originally appeared in “The Courier-Times” and / or “The Shelbyville News”. Check their websites for further information.
The Most Unique Bread Ever
Blaise Doubman
I collect cookbooks but not nearly to the mass amount that I did years ago. I literally had hundreds of thousands of cookbooks! No exaggeration. Finally, one day, I decided to only keep the cookbooks that I could actually see myself cooking and baking from. Lots of the cookbooks I donated, gifted or sold. I would have to guess now the number of my cookbooks is in the several hundreds. Maybe a thousand but like I said, nowhere near what once was. Some of my favorite cookbooks are the old Church cookbooks from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. There are so many good recipes in those that simply can not be found anywhere else!
The recipe I am sharing today is a spin off one of those recipes. I always think a recipe is memorable for not only the final taste of course but sometimes how the recipe is worded or how the final product is mixed or thrown together. Take “Wacky Cake” for instance. The final result of that cake depends on mixing different ingredients into different holes throughout the batter. If you have never heard of it, I suggest you look it up. It is pretty fascinating really. The recipe for quick bread that I am sharing here today can be sweet or savory. The cool thing about this recipe is that there are 2 cups of a variety of ingredients that you can pick from that need to be stirred in. Any combination of the 25 listed ingredients can be added, just as long as it measures up to 2 cups. This is a delicious recipe and one that will not be forgotten!
A – Z Quick Bread
This can be refrigerated, frozen or wrapped and left at room temperature. If refrigerated, the bread can last about 2 weeks. If frozen, the bread can last about 6 months. If just wrapped well with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature, the bread can last up to 5 days.
2 cups white all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups A – Z ingredient list
1 cup chopped nuts
A – Z combination of ingredients (any combination of the following to equal 2 cups)
apples, grated
applesauce
apricots, chopped
bananas, mashed
carrots, shredded or grated
cherries, pitted and chopped
dates, pitted and chopped
eggplant
figs
grapes
honey, use 1 1/2 cups and omit the sugar
lemons, 1/2 cup juice and 1 1/2 cups other ingredients
marmalade, use 1 cup in place of 1 cup sugar
oranges
peaches
pears
pineapple
raisins
raspberries
rhubarb
strawberries
sweet potatoes
tomatoes, reduce sugar to 1/2 cup
yogurt, flavored or plain
zucchini
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray 2 regular size loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray containing flour.
In a large bowl combine the white all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, baking powder and salt with a whisk until smooth and evenly incorporated.
In another large bowl, beat together the white granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract and vegetable oil until thick and combined. Add in the 2 cups A – Z combination of ingredients and stir together well until everything is combined and looks rich and bubbly.
Take 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and toss it with your chopped nuts. Take the remaining flour mixture and stir it into the wet mixture, followed by the flour coated nuts and stir carefully. Be careful not to over mix the batter. Just keep stirring only until no more flour can be seen.
Divide batter between the 2 loaf pans and spread out evenly.
Bake, in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Remove, allow to cool in their pans for about 30 minutes.
Remove them from their pans onto a piece of parchment paper and allow to cool completely.
When ready, slice and enjoy!
Ask and Answer: Have a special recipe that you would like to share? Write to me! We can work together and feature it, right here, sharing it with everyone as a family memory.