Good Morning Blueberry Bread

I had made this bread specifically meaning to blog about it. Then, you know, a month passed, and another month, aaaaand now it's been over a year. I am very motivated. But I digress, this bread is worth making. The texture is perfectly moist and doesn't crumble all over the place. The blueberries are plentiful but not over saturated and the sliced almonds (which were originally added to the batter instead of sprinkled on top) give the crust a nice crunch.


I saw this recipe in a newspaper, which also if I remember correctly was being submitted from someone else who saw it in another newspaper decades back. It's wonderful warmed with a pat of butter or standing alone with a cup of coffee for breakfast.


Good Morning Blueberry Bread

Ingredients:

• 1-½ Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 1-⅓ cup Sugar
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• 2 whole Eggs
• ⅔ cups Canola Oil *
• 1-½ teaspoon Lemon Extract **
• 1 pint Blueberries
• 1 cup Chopped Nuts (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F with rack positioned so the top will be in the middle of the oven.

1. Combine 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar in bowl. Grease a loaf pan and sprinkle some of the mix on the bottom (plus sides if using a nonstick pan) of the pan, reserving leftover for top of loaf.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, remaining cinnamon and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.
3. In a smaller bowl blend together eggs, oil* and lemon extract** very well. Pour the wet mixture into the well made in dry ingredients and stir until batter is JUST moistened (it’s alright if everything isn’t completely incorporated for now, avoid over-mixing). Batter will be thick.
4. Crush half of the blueberries – I pour them into a Ziplock sandwich bag and mush them up by squishing against a counter. Stir mashed berries into batter until everything is combined.
5. Gently fold in the remaining whole blueberries and about 2/3rds of the nuts if using them.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with rest of the nuts and as much of the remaining cinnamon sugar mix as you’d like.
7. Bake for 60 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. I start checking around 50 minutes. Let cool completely before eating.

* You can substitute half of the oil for applesauce for less fat. Meant to try this but never have.
** If you have fresh lemons they can be substituted. I’m sure lemon juice could be as well but have never tried it.