Harvest Bread

 

I used to be a prolific reader of magazines - my subscriptions included Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, Bon Appetit, Cooking Light ... these days I rely on the kindness of my relatives (thank you Mom & Gloria) for my magazine subscriptions and read from the "Taste of Home" family. A couple months back, I sent in a card for a two-year subscription to Midwest Living. It was a cheap magazine ($20 for 2 years ... ) and since I am now a homeowner, I wanted to find a magazine that would give me gardening ideas that are specific to my region. Midwest Living isn't an amazing magazine, but I've enjoyed the issues I've received so far. I've also been pleasantly surprised by the recipes I've found as well.

October's issue of Midwest Living featured a recipe for Streusel Apple Bread. Since I could not find fresh cranberries and wasn't willing to pay $3.50 for a bag of frozen cranberries, I found a mixed berry blend and substituted that for the cranberries. In the

future, I'd also take out the apples - I used Granny Smith, typically a more tart apple, and I don't think it really added anything to the bread.

Despite my "meh-ness" of this recipe, I made this one for a recent family get together and my uncle John absolutely adored it. So it has to be good for something ...

Harvest Bread
2 c. flour
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sour milk (put 1 tsp of lemon into a measuring cup - fill the rest with milk until you have 1/3 of a cup.)
**1 c. frozen berry blend (do yourself - and your guests a favor - give 'em a quick chop with a knife before folding them into the batter)
2/3 c. chopped walnuts

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1/3 c. brown sugar
2 T. flour
1 tsp. zested lemon peel
1 T. butter, melted

Grease a loaf pan and heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat 1/2 c. butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in sugar until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour with baking soda and salt; add to beaten mixture alternately with the sour milk. Stir in fruit and walnuts. Spoon batter into pan.

For streusel topping: In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, 2 T. flour, lemon peel and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over bread batter.

Bake bread for 55-60 minutes (this depends on size of loaf pan ... it seemed to take me about 1 hr. 15 minutes to get this bad boy baked). Cool bread in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan - cool completely on wire rack. I covered mine with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit overnight before slicing it for my family's shindig.

**If you opt to use cranberries in this recipe, I'd reduce the amount of fruit to 1/2 cup, because cranberries are tart. The recipe also recommends to chop 'em up ... I'd do that. If you want to use cranberries and apples like the original recipe - chop up one apple, toss the pieces in about a tablespoon of flour and reduce the cranberries to 1/3 cup.

Modified from Midwest Living, October 2008 - Streusel Apple Bread.