Strawberry-Pecan Breadstuff ... Alongside A Hint Of Cardamom

When strawberries were inwards the pinnacle of their flavour a few weeks ago, I constitute a recipe for strawberry breadstuff acre I was browsing a church building cookbook from my mother-in-law's bookshelf. I jotted the recipe down, all excited to larn inwards alongside the gorgeous, fresh strawberries appearing roughly our area. As shortly equally I got my hands on some beauties, I gave the recipe a whirl. And was terribly disappointed. I had envisioned a light, moist, beautifully-risen bread that permit the flavor of fresh strawberries shine. What I got was a dense, somewhat dry, nighttime breadstuff overly-flavored alongside cinnamon to the betoken that the strawberries were ... good ... pointless. Not what I wanted at all.

And directly I had strawberry breadstuff on the brain. Couldn't larn it out of my mind. Once I larn something inwards my mind, I tin post away live on a flake obsessive well-nigh it. So, dorsum to the drawing board I went. I've been through several iterations of this bread - to a greater extent than iterations than I'd similar to admit! But directly I'm happy alongside it. Very happy alongside it.

Start past times dicing some fresh strawberries. I similar to sprinkle them alongside a tiny flake of saccharide to help convey out their sweetness.

A overnice piddling dice

Then mix upwards your breadstuff batter, next the creaming method ... creaming your butter as well as sugar, beating inwards the eggs, as well as thus adding your dry out ingredients alternately alongside your liquid. This is ane adaptation I made - the liquid. I used buttermilk, because I but dearest the moistness as well as richness that buttermilk adds to baked goods. I also reduced the amount of cinnamon as well as added a dash of cardamom. I dearest cardamom - but yous pick out to live on careful alongside it because it's such a rigid flavor. It took me a duet of tries to figure out the "right" amount of cardamom. If you're non a fan (which I know some people are not!), past times all way leave the cardamom out ... this breadstuff is sure enough however tasty without it.

Gently folding inwards the berries

Gently plication inwards the diced strawberries as well as some pecans ... yous could occupation walnuts ... I'm but rattling partial to pecans. Love them. Bake upwards your bread, as well as yous halt alongside precisely what I was looking for - a light, moist, beautifully-risen breadstuff that lets the flavor of the fresh strawberries shine.

It's ready!

Strawberry-Pecan Bread

Source: Adapted from The Country Cook

(Printable recipe)

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

iii eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

ii tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pose down cinnamon

1/16 tsp. pose down cardamom (optional)

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 1/2 c. fresh strawberries, diced

ii tsp. sugar

1/2 c. pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. Dice the strawberries as well as house them inwards a small-scale bowl. Sprinkle alongside ii teaspoons of sugar; laid aside acre yous laid the residue of the batter.

2. Beat the butter alongside an electrical mixer until fluffy, well-nigh 1 minute. Add the saccharide as well as proceed to crunch until low-cal as well as fluffy, well-nigh iii to iv minutes. Add eggs, ane at a time, beating good subsequently each addition. Beat inwards the vanilla extract.

3. In a split upwards bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, as well as cardamom. With the mixer on depression speed, add together the flour mixture as well as buttermilk, alternately, starting as well as ending alongside the flour. Mix alone until combined; produce non over mix. Gently plication inwards the strawberries as well as pecans.

4. Scrape the batter into a regular-sized (typically 9x5x3") loaf pan that has been sprayed alongside non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for well-nigh 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted inwards the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack as well as thus take away breadstuff loaf from the pan. Makes 1 loaf.

Enjoy!