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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Lemon Cranberry Coconut Bread

When my mom and grandma came to town a few weeks ago to help us paint our new house, I wanted to make a little something to snack on early in the morning when we were still trying to wake ourselves up and get ready for a long day of painting. Quick breads are ideal for this type of situation; they're easy to whip up (I didn't even need a mixer for this one) and while they take longer to bake than muffins, once you take 10 minutes to whip up the batter, the rest of the time is hands-off. 

I actually under-baked this bread a little bit. It was passing the "no crumbs on a toothpick" test and browning lightly on top, so I removed it after about 40 minutes and let it cool for awhile on the counter. I didn't slice it until the next morning, at which point I discovered that the center was pretty gooey--definitely baked, but maybe not as much as it was intended to be. I actually prefer my breads this way, so I wasn't the least bit disappointed...but if you're looking for a sturdier, drier bread, you may want to cook a bit longer. 

The primary flavors of this bread are the lemon and the cranberry, making it a little bit tart. The coconut is more of an undertone, but it does add a subtle sweetness that makes for an all-around yummy breakfast bread. The bread is bright, with its pops of cranberries. This would be a great addition to an Easter brunch spread!

One Year Ago: Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Lemon Cranberry Coconut Bread

Ingredients:
-2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup all-purpose and you never would've known!)
-1 cup sugar
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
-zest from 1 lemon
-3 tbsp canola oil
-1 large egg
-1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries, whole
-1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, and egg, whisking just until combined.
3. Fold in cranberries and coconut. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
4. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan and allowing to cool completely before slicing.