Berry Almond Quick Bread

This recipe looks like it'll be a mainstay when the berries are ripe in the summertime. I made it in mini-loaves with blueberries from the freezer the first time, and it was delicious.


From Eating Well in Season: the Farmers' Market Cookbook with very few changes.


1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)
1 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip, below)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups fresh or frozen berries (whole blackberries, blueberries, raspberries; diced strawberries)
1/2 cup chopped toasted sliced almonds (see Tip, below)


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F for muffins or mini loaves, 375 for a large loaf.
2. Whisk flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, butter, oil, vanilla and almond extracts in another large bowl until well combined.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Add berries and almonds. Stir just to combine; do not overmix. Transfer batter to the prepared pan(s). Top with additional almonds, if desired.
5. Bake until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Follow time suggestions for various pan sizes below. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature - with coffee, milk, or any other brunch-style refreshing beverage.


Tips:
-If you don't have buttermilk in the house, mix 1 Tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup milk.
-To toast sliced almonds, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2-4 minutes.
-Pan sizes!

Muffins (standard muffin pan): makes one dozen, bake for 22-25 minutes at 400.
Mini-Bundt pans (6-cup mini Bundt pan, scant 1-cup capacity per cake): 22-25 minutes at 400.
Mini-loaf pans (6x3 inch pans, 2-cup capacity): makes 3, bake for 30 minutes at 400.
Large loaf pan (9x5 inches): make one loaf, bake for 1 hour 10 minutes at 375.


Please note: this is not a product review. I won the cookbook as a prize in Brighter Planet's contest for Sustainable Cooking Ideas last December. While I didn't make the top five for the grand prize (an Amazon Kindle), I felt proud to make it into the top twenty tips and I enjoyed reading the other entries.

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