Cinnamon Quick Bread
Few things make Darin as happy as cinnamon-laden bread products. He would tell you that the way to a man’s heart might in fact be through his stomach, but if you can master cinnamon-breads, you better be ready to be a wife. Monkey bread and cinnamon rolls are what got this ring on my finger, and I intend to continue to figure out amazing things I can do with cinnamon in order to keep my man happy (oh, by the way, once you’ve had cinnamon pancakes, all other pancakes will pale in comparison…). This quick bread recipe makes for a tasty treat without a lot of fuss; great for breakfast by itself or as a refreshing dessert when entertaining guests.
Yields: one 9×5″ loaf
Ingredients:
1/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 c. sugar, divided
1 egg
2 c. flour (I use all wheat, but all-purpose works fine if you prefer)
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk (I buy Saco dry buttermilk powder from the baking aisle and recommend everyone keep some on-hand; I’ve hardly enjoyed a product more… buttermilk anything, anytime I want)
1 T. cinnamon (plus more for the batter if so desired; I tend to desire)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease bottom and sides of pan and place a layer of parchment paper flat on the bottom (I cut to fit exactly; without the paper, this loaf will stick, regardless of your greasing it seems).
2. Cream butter and 1 c. sugar, add egg.
3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt (and Saco buttermilk powder if not using liquid buttermilk). Add buttermilk (or water if using Saco) and blend well.
4. In separate small bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon.
5. Layer batter and cinnamon-sugar blend 2 or 3 times. Use whatever cinnamon-sugar you have left to dust/cover the top layer for a crunchy crust.
6. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool as much as you can before eating so the insides firm up and the sides release. You will probably have to deal with this loaf in the pan, but drag a knife around the edges anyway so that removal of slices isn’t so big a task.
Tip/Idea: You can double this recipe and bake it in a bundt pan for a nice change, just be sure to grease and flour the pan as best you can as this is one hard loaf to remove, and you probably shouldn’t dust/cover the last layer with cinnamon-sugar since you’re going to be flipping it over on top of that anyway. If the bread is just not letting go of the pan, try to invert the whole thing onto another pan or cooling rack and put it back in the oven at a reasonable heat for a few minutes. Usually the weight of the bread and the re-warming of the pan will cause it to release.
