Social Kitchen

Friends, we all knew this time of year was coming.  The time of year when we are horrified to learn the number of comforting calories we quietly consumed in the cold and dark winter months, only to have them neatly hidden under a trendy, yet oversized, sweater.  The time of year when shorts and maxi dresses, and of course, swim suits are suddenly in your face again.  The time of year when you realize that you should probably lay off the sweets for a bit.

I decided to outsmart this time of year though.  I made a bread.  I mean, a delicious bread that’s barely sweetened with molasses and has all the good stuff that everyone keeps talking about: whole grains and yogurt.  (Yogurt is good for you, right?).  But then I top it with almond butter (it has proten!) and berries, or maybe some nutella (it has protein?) or cream cheese or homemade ricotta with maple syrup, which keeps your sweet tooth satisfied but you can still be on the road to your perfect beach wardrobe.

Ah, who am I kidding?!  I eat this bread because it’s delicious and I make it taste like cake.  But I am weak and I lack discipline and I will probably go back to desserts next week!  But let me have my moment.  Let me try to appreciate this time of year.

Molasses Bread (recipe from Joy the Baker)

1 2/3 cups plain yogurt

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup molasses

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt and baking soda.

In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk or yogurt and molasses.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold until well combined, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not have any leftover flour.  Spoon batter into prepared pan and place in the oven.  Bake loaf for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the top of the bread is a deep brown and a tester comes out clean.

Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the loaf pan.  Run a butter knife along the sides of the pan and carefully invert onto a wire rack.

Loaf will keep, well wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Serve with cream cheese, jam, salted butter, nutella, homemade ricotta, almond butter, or just dip the whole thing in chocolate ganache.

This entry was posted on April 19, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under Uncategorized.