Spring is almost synonymous with rich, red strawberries bursting with tart-sweet flavor and more goodness than anything so delicious oughta have. Desi, who loves berries, is always coming home with armfuls of them, and although neither he nor Jay can get enough of them, there are always more to use up before they go bad. That’s why, every Spring, I go around digging for strawberry recipes to try out and devour. This time, I hit the jackpot with this scrumptious Strawberry Bread.
This is a rather healthy and low-fat recipe: it’s whole wheat, for one, and it’s filled with all sorts of fruity goodness. Although strawberries are the undisputed stars here, there is also a banana in this and some applesauce. Both add tenderness and moisture to the Strawberry Bread without screaming out their presence.
This bread is more of a cake, really, and it’s not only a crowd pleaser, it’s also a kid pleaser– something I’ve learned to appreciate more than ever in these past few months. Jay looks forward to slices of the bread in his snack box, and he has no idea it is good for him, or at least much better than those cookies and candy he otherwise craves.
Here’s the recipe. Try it for breakfast or for dessert– you can’t go wrong.
- Dry ingredients:
- 1¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Wet Ingredients:
- 2 cups hulled and quartered strawberries
- 1 very ripe banana
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ to ¾ cup sugar. I used the larger quantity and the bread was perfectly sweet, but if you’d rather cut down, add ½ a cup. The banana and applesauce add lots of sweetness. If adding less sugar, cut down baking time and start checking the bread for doneness five minutes earlier.
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp flax meal (not flax eggs– don’t add any water)
- In a small saucepan, place the strawberries.and turn to medium heat. When the juices bubble from the strawberries, turn off the heat.
- In a bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until mixed.
- In a larger bowl, place all the wet ingredients. Whisk by hand or in a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, until the mixture is all frothy and well-mixed.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing thoroughly after each addition. The batter will be rather thick, which is fine because the strawberries will release more moisture while cooking.
- Add the cooked strawberries, swirling them through the batter to spread them evenly without mashing them into the batter.
- Scrape the batter into a 9-inch loaf pan or a small baking pan. Smooth out the top. If you wish, you can layer on some sliced strawberries on top for a prettier look.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a rack before slicing.
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