It all started with Pinterest. I was browsing recent pins via my iPhone when a picture of bread caught my attention. This bread had a cinnamon streak running through its center, and looked like just the thing we needed to complement our suppertime soup. I clicked through to the Whisk and a Prayer website for a closer look. All basic ingredients on-hand? Check. Time to throw it together before supper? Check. Reasonable expectation it will be delicious? Check.
My three concerns with the recipe as I found it on A Whisk and a Prayer:
- Lots of sugar
- Milk
- Vegetable oil
To overcome those concerns, I reduced the amount of sugar (admittedly I could have done more, but I’ll save that to tackle next time), I substituted coconut milk for the dairy, and substituted coconut oil for the vegetable oil. This was a complete experiment; I had no idea how it would taste, but figured it would turn out great.
If you’ve not used coconut milk and/or coconut oil – don’t worry that your bread will taste coconuty. It won’t. It will be simply sweet and moist.
Wow. Did it ever. Next time I’d like to substitute applesauce for the egg so it’s a true vegan option. Let me know if you try it that way!
Cinnamon Quick Bread
This is a fast bread to throw together, and while it bakes you can finish prep on your supper and have everything on the table before the sweet smells of the baking have barely hit your nose.
Ingredients:
- Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
- Baking Powder - 1 T
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Cinnamon - 2 heaping tsp
- Egg - 1, beaten
- Unsweetened Coconut Milk - 1 cup
- Coconut Oil - 1/3 cup
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350℉
In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, using a whisk to ensure they mix together well. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, coconut milk and coconut oil. Pour liquids into flour mixture, and stir well to moisten.
Note: the coconut oil will be lumpy, but don't let that worry you. Your batter will be thick since you don't have a lot of true liquid content. Again, not to worry. Just be sure everything is mixed well without any hidden patches of your dry ingredients.
Pour batter into greased loaf pan (I greased mine with just a little bit of coconut oil). Bake for 45-50 minutes, until tester inserted comes out clean and/or you see the edges turn slightly brown and pull away from the edge of the pan.
Allow the loaf pan to sit on a cooling rack for approximately ten minutes before dumping out the bread. I say "approximately" because even ten minutes will be difficult for some of you to wait. I won't judge if you dump it out sooner. Just know that it will probably break apart because it will be a premature dumping, but the benefit to this is you don't have to dirty a knife cutting it. Just scoop broken pieces of hot cinnamon yumminess and eat.
Oh, and some people say if you allow the bread to sit overnight it won't be nearly as crumbly when you slice it in the morning. But this person says, "Dig in and enjoy. Just don't burn your tongue while you're devouring."
Oh, my gosh. I can smell it baking. Gonna make this Monday to take to our Tuesday morning meeting (that way it won’t crumble when I cut it..?).
And, I have the greatest Vietnamese cinnamon from the spice shop.
Fast, easy, and yummy. I can’t wait!
Thanks, A
Thank you, Arminda. This was the smell in my kitchen when I arrived home 5 minutes ago. Only 15 minutes left in the oven.
My stomach is rumbling just reading this!!! I’m going to try this as soon as it’s cool enough to turn on my oven. I have a strict “no oven in the summer” rule!
Here’s a new rule, Anita: If the temperature drops below 70 degrees in the evenings, it’s cool enough to turn on your oven to bake this bread.
It was FABULOUS. Huge hit at the office.
I made it the night before because (1) I wouldn’t have to get up so early to make it for our 8am office meeting, :) and (2) because some had said it would be less crumbly if cut the next day.
It was still fairly crumbly, more like eating cake, so everyone had it on a plate with a fork. Only got great responses.
I’m going to make it again next week adding apples and nuts and putting it into muffin cups (and cooking the night before). I’ll let you know!
To try and reduce “the crumbly” – try wrapping the bread in foil overnight and see if that helps. But eating with a fork is never a bad alternative.
Mine is cooling as I type this…perfect day for a perfect little tiny snack! And my house smells warm and toasty from the fire roasting and the bread that was baking! MMMMM!
Sounds like the perfect scenario, Jamie!