Raisin Quick Bread – Daring Bakers Challenge PT II

Hello, what is the easiest way to make out if one is a Libran or no? Put a person in front of two options and ask them to CHOOSE!

Choose is an awful word. This is where I realize what a tough job it is to make decisions…almost Earth Shattering, it is for me.

Thank god I had no options, “This Guy or that Guy?” when I got married. I would have died a million deaths. That’s why god never gave me any time to make a choice. He must have thought very wisely- it has to be only ONE guy! So, hubby dear, that’s why I am a one man woman, happy with the choice I made.

I tried out two options for the daring bakers challenge, and guess why the first one won? It was sweeter!

Not saying that this isn’t, only that it isn’t as sweet as the Date and. but it wsa nice and lihtly sweet, perfect for sugar-oholics loke me, who need a sugar rush every few hours but can’t afford the calories.

Since I tried this as breakfast bread, it was warm and soft and appetizing and fragrant, and though it didn’t have as much butter as the other bread, it was still buttery. It gave a more butter flavor, bite for bite, obviously the other one had dates.

And it was quick.

Just a variation of the cheese and chive scones recipe, Get the recipe here, this one I read on Joy of Baking.

For the

Raisin Quick Bread – Daring Bakers Challenge PT II...

You need

3 cups plain flour

40 Gms sugar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

40 Gms butter cold

100 Gms raisins

1 ½ cups/ 360 mils buttermilk (I used cold milk and 2 tsp vinegar)

So simple, yes?

Before you assemble the ingredients, turn on your oven to 190C.

Start by sifting the dry ingredients into a bowl.

I used icing sugar (which also contains corn flour btw.)

Grate the butter into the bowl. My maid was on her way, I saw rather heard her 2 houses away. She carries her small baby on her back, tied to her body with a shawl, almost like the Fisher Price baby sling. These ladies must have been the inspiration for the Fisher Price Baby Sling. Many, many years ago hubby dear was stationed in Bhutan, there we saw women walk by with  red cheeked, cute chubby baby on their back, tied with a shawl (the men used to totter by drunk, if you please- universal phenomenon, that’s why women worldwide do all the work.) and we had just spent a bomb on that Fisher Price sling. Complete waste of money, as sweet child never liked being slung, only carried.

Back to the bread, break the butter into the flour. 

And pop the raisins in. just mix them around.

And after you’ve greased and floured a loaf tin, get the buttermilk ready.

Pour the buttermilk into the dry stuff. 

Quickly working with your hands, lightly mix and knead the dough, shape it into a ball and put in the loaf tin. You can of course make a free standing loaf, but that is never bread to me. I so love loafs. Plus the persnickety attitude of sweet child and hubby dear also has to be taken into consideration. I made a little cross, for luck.

In the oven for about 45 to 50 minutes. you can tell the braed is done when you touch the top and it springs back. Better still ,when you bring the loaf out, tap its back. you'll get a hollow knocking sound. its done.  

Yay! its done. Slice and enjoy with your breakfast. Skipped the eggs, Sweet and eggs dont go for me. Fab with a life saving cup of java. I like mine South Indian Filter Coffee, Kapi Style.

The daring Bakers Challenge was fun, double, actually.

Try this for a quick snack.Or Breakfast.

So what are you baking today???