So, how come no one ever told me about cinnamon sugar bread? I’m a nice person and share all my favorite recipes with you all. The least you could have done was tell me about this treasure. But no, I had to discover this bread on my own. But I’ve got broad shoulders, so once again, I’m going to reveal my benevolent side, and tell you all about my recent discovery. OMG – this is the best and probably the easiest quick bread I have tasted in a long time. And the truly unique thing about this bread, is that it doesn’t contain any fancy ingredients or even a new flavor sensation. It’s just a simple vanilla flavored quick bread batter with swirls of cinnamon-sugar streusel. That’s it. Like I said – nothing fancy or new.
I found this wonderful recipe on the beyondfrosting.com site. I halved the recipe again and then doubled the streusel part, because I could. (The real reason is that I wanted a 2nd bread to share with our neighbors Mark and Vicki. They just moved into their new home and they are still feeling a bit discombobulated (I always wanted to use that word) from the move. And what could be more calming than a nice quick bread made with lots of sugar? Am I right?)
Anyway, I made the bread and we all agreed that this was a recipe to keep. So thank you Julianne. This is truly a wonderful recipe.
Now before I go any further, I want to reiterate: this is a simple bread to build, and the flavors are not going to be new to your taste buds. When I take a bite I am reminded of eating cinnamon toast as a kid, or biting into one of my grandmother’s soft cinnamon-sugar cake donuts. This is comfort bread, not a dazzling new flavor sensation for your taste buds. It’s a bread this grandmother plans to build for her grandchildren when it’s once again safe to be in their presence. (Or they in our presence.) (I really pray this pandemic ends soon!)
So as always, keep staying safe. The numbers of new covid-19 cases is increasing as many of us are unconsciously semi letting our guard down. (Guilty as charged.) So be vigilant. Take more precautions than even the medical community advises. Even after all these months, no one truly understands all of the ramifications of contracting this disease.
And please vote in the upcoming presidential election. Vote as if your life and your children’s lives depended on it. Vote with your brain and heart. Ask yourself these questions: Which candidate cares about the environment? Which candidate cares about people? Not just rich powerful people. But everyone – people of color, different religions, differing beliefs, sexual persuasion, etc. Which candidate can speak intelligently about world conditions? Which candidate would represent the United States with poise and dignity and class?
You know, class is something not often mentioned in reference to adults who are not wealthy or influential. But I feel it is an attribute to which all adults should aspire. It should be as intrinsic to our natures as saying “hello”, or “thank you”, or “have a good day”. And I feel it is especially imperative for our political leaders to be the very embodiment of this quality. They should be our examples of how class manifests itself when difficult situations arise. They should reflect kindness and concern. When verbally attacked, they should be able to take the high ground. And of utmost importance, they should be genuine people who care about all of the citizens they took office to protect and defend.
And one final question for you to consider: Which candidate would you unhesitatingly welcome into your home?
And for those of you who are confused whether my blog is a cooking blog or a political site, you aren’t alone. I don’t have that answer either. I just know that this coming election will influence what direction our country takes for generations to come. And I wish all of my progeny to have a chance at as nice a life as I’ve experienced. As is my wish for you and yours. Peace and love to all.
1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. + 2 T. granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. kosher salt
3 lg. eggs
¾ c. vegetable oil
¾ c. sour cream
3 T. whole milk
4½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
For the Streusel:
½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
6 T. light brown sugar, packed
3 T. granulated sugar
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces
Lightly spray 2 – 9 x 5-inch loaf pans or 2 – 7.5 x 3.5 x 2.75 inch loaf pans* with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper**. Then give the parchment paper a quick spray. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, veggie oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract together. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Set aside.
For the streusel: Whisk the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Add the cold butter, and mush the butter into the flour mixture with a fork. Or use your fingers to press the butter together with the dry ingredients until well combined. The mixture should be crumbly but stick together when pressed between your fingers.
Layer a fourth of the batter in each pan. Then add a fourth of the streusel to each pan. Add the remaining batter on top and finally, the remaining streusel. Gently swirl the streusel into the batter.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the edges of the bread begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves should come out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If you use an instant read thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 190 degrees.
Remove the pans from oven and quickly, but carefully remove the loaves from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. You can peel the parchment paper off the bottom either when the bread is hot or after the bread has cooled completely.
BTW – if you would like to make this as a coffee cake, use a 9-inch square pan.
*I use Stellar James Martin 1lb. (7.5 x 3.5 x 2.75 inch) Non-Stick Loaf Tin Pans. They are not inexpensive, but they are wonderful pans.
** I don’t use parchment paper along the sides of the pans because parchment paper is recalcitrant. It simply will not form or attach itself to the sides of baking pans. So I always make a bloody mess. The batter ends up going between the sides of the pan and the paper, under the paper, and everywhere else it shouldn’t be! Plus I like the kind of sugary crust that forms along the sides of the bread when it’s just batter against the lightly greased sides of a pan. The bottom is a different story. Sugary batter just adores sticking to the bottom of any kind of pan. So parchment paper on the bottom only makes good sense. But if you are proficient with parchment paper, by all means use it to line your loaf pans. Just don’t tell me. I feel inept enough as it is. Sigh….