Quick Breads: Lemon Blueberry & Cappuccino with Shaved Chocolate

A friend of mine from Sammy’s playgroup is running a Kindermusik class this fall and she had our playgroup over as a practice run. I offered to bring breakfast. I had a doctor’s appointment more than an hour away the day before, so I decided to keep it simple with quick breads. I made a tried and true Blueberry Lemon quick bread for the kids (well, everyone) and a more grown up Cappuccino Bread with Shaved Chocolate for the moms. Both went over really well. The cappuccino bread was especially unique—I actually heard the words gourmet coffee shop in reference to it.

The pictures aren’t so great since I didn’t want to slice them until we were there—and I was not going to disrupt a free Kindermusik session for my kids by demanding we all pause for pictures!

Cappuccino Bread with Shaved Chocolate

Adapted from 1001 Muffins, Biscuits, Doughnuts, Pancakes, Waffles, Popovers, Fritters, Scones and Other Quick Breads by Gregg R. Gillespie

Ingredients

2 cups (252 g) minus 2 t AP flour (just measure and then toss the 2 t back into the flour container)
2 t natural cocoa powder, sifted
½ t salt
¾ cup + 1 T sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
2 ½ t baking powder
¾ cup shaved semi sweet chocolate
2 t instant espresso
1 large egg
½ cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
1 cup scalded milk, cooled
1 t vanilla
1 t Godiva chocolate liquor (or chocolate extract)
Coarse sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease and flour a 9X5 loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, instant espresso and sugar. Set aside.

Beat the egg, butter and milk until foamy. Unlike most quick bread recipes, I did this stage in my mixer to in order to really get it foamy. Combine the wet and dry mixes—before they are totally mixed, fold in the shaved chocolate as well. Do not overmix.

After spooning the batter into the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle the bread with coarse sugar. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean (except for melted chocolate and/or a few crumbs) and the top is golden. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on the rack.

Blueberry Lemon Quick Bread

Adapted from CLBB, Woman’s Day

1 ¾ cup AP Flour
2/3 cup Sugar
2 t baking powder
zest of 1 lemon (I also added lemon oil—if you do not have the oil, zest 2 lemons or even more to taste)
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
1 ½ cups washed and dried blueberries (unless frozen in which case use without thawing)
1 8 oz carton lemon yogurt, lowfat
1 large and 1 small egg (2 eggs total)
¼ t lemon oil
2 T neutral oil
Coarse sugar for sprinkling on top

Heat oven to 375F. Coat a 9X5 loaf pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt and lemon zest together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk yogurt, egg, lemon oil and neutral oil. Add to flour mixture and stir until moistened (batter will be thick). Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the pan. Spread 1/3 of the blueberries over the layer. Then repeat twice more, ending with blueberries. With the last layer, press the blueberries firmly but gently into the top layer of batter. I do this to prevent sinking, which I have been plagued with until I tried this method. If regular folding works for you, ignore me and just fold blueberries into the batter last.

Sprinkle the prepared batter in the pan with coarse sugar.

Bake for 50 minutes or until browned and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.