Sweet Olive Oil Quick bread

As much as I'd love to offer up a new recipe, I have so many ones from the old site that have been so good and patient at waiting to be published again. It'd be a shame not to give them a little lime light, don't you think? I have, however, been working on a new chocolate recipe to post for Valentine's Day, something that just might involve individual portions and sprinkles! 

In the mean time, here's a good, good, good recipe to satisfy a very slight sweet tooth. And not to brag or anything, but after I posted it for the first time last spring, one of the best bakers in all of the Twin Cities worked it into his bakery case for all worthy little Minnesotans to enjoy!

Quick breads.

There’s nothing more Suzy Homemaker than a good, old-fashioned loaf of quick bread. Suzy Homemaker loves making things from scratch with ingredients she has laying around the kitchen. She also likes baked goods that are quick and easy so that she has enough time to tend to the really important things in life; like ironing the family’s underwear and cross-stitching dishtowels. 

That Suzy Homemaker- she’s my kind of woman.  

But hopefully she knows that not all quick breads need to be made with overripe fruit and a tub of butter. Hopefully Suzy Homemaker knows that you can do a whole lot more with a quick bread and take it to a whole new level. Hopefully she realizes that olive oil is really good for her family and that pine nuts are a gift from the gods. If she she knew this, then she’d be sure to make my newest quick bread fav, Sweet Olive Oil Bread with Pine Nuts. I can just picture her at the kitchen table giving a thick slice to Debby Housewife as they share recipes and a cup of joe.

In all seriousness, this is a damn good quick bread. Not the kind you meet in your typical coffee shop pastry case or school fundraiser bake-off. I was inspired to whip it up after discovering a little thing called “Bread Baking Day”. Mmm...baking day. Can you guess what my new favorite day is? Participating in a monthly bread baking day completes me. It’s what gets me up in the morning and is the last thing I fall asleep thinking about- well, that and my awesome pot of daffodils that grew a foot over night and woke up looking like this:

Well, ok- maybe bread baking day, daffodils, and my husband.

This month’s theme for Bread Baking Day is Suzy Homemaker’s favorite: quick breads! Admittedly, I’m a yeasted bread lover, but a girl’s gotta adhere to Bread Baking Day’s rules. Plus, this recipe was just too good to pass up. It’s moist, slightly sweet, and has a refreshing lemony zip.

The really great thing about this recipe is that you can turn it any which way you please. Although most quick breads are really just cake in bread form, this little guy is more of a hybrid- just enough sugar to satisfy a sweet tooth and just enough flour and olive oil to make it a great bread on a cheese plate or to be spread with a little tapanade. Of course, I wouldn’t think any less of you if you ate a slice a la mode.

Sweet Olive Oil Bread with Pine Nuts

Olivenoljekake med Pinje Kjerne

(Recipe adapted from epicurious.com)

*makes 8-10 servings

 

2 1/2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch salt

2/3 cup (150g) sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup (175 ml) milk

1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil + more for greasing pan

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup (50g) sultana raisins (the golden ones)

grated zest of 1 lemon

1/3 cup (25 g) pine nuts, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350F/175C. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the sugar. Add the eggs, milk,olive oil, and lemon juice, and beat well.

2. Toss the raisins in a little flour to coat them lightly. Add the raisins and lemon zest, and half of the pine nuts (save the other half to sprinkle on top) add the flour and egg mixture, and stir to distribute evenly.

3. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Transfer the batter into the pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the top with remaining pine nuts. Bake for 55 minutes- making sure to test the center with a toothpick. Let cool for a few minutes before unmolding and allowing to cool completely on a rack. Store in the refrigerator. Will keep for up to a week. 

Comments

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Mmm...this does indeed look lovely. I always dislike the term "quick bread" precisely because I am a bread lover and when I hear "bread" I don't want cake. This looks like the perfect combination though. Sweet, yet savoury, and with lemons and olive oil, two of my favourite things.

Must of missed it the first time, so please keep posting from the old site and reminding me of all those things I need to make!

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