So, remember last month when I went on and on about how much I loved the snow and what fun snow days were? Is it too late to take it all back? 🙂 I’m kidding…mostly. This happens every year so I shouldn’t be surprised about the way I’m feeling. In December and January there is no bigger fan of the snow than me; I’m one of the few people up here you won’t find complaining about it. By the time February rolls around, though, I’m totally over it. I yearn to see the grass emerge from under the piles of snow and sand. I yearn for warm, sunny days when I can throw the windows open and let some fresh air in. And last week, I found myself yearning for juicy summer berries. The craving was so strong I caved and bought a pint of strawberries when I was out shopping for our Valentine’s Day dinner. It’ll be many months before I can get local berries, but until then, these will do the trick and help me get through this final stretch of winter.
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with access to gorgeous red strawberries in February, I highly recommend you use them to make this walnut-strawberry quick bread. It’ll take you all of about 7 minutes to make the batter, and the hardest thing you’ll have to do is mash the strawberries. For your effort, you’ll be rewarded with a moist, slightly sweet bread loaded with strawberry flavor that would be perfect for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the lemon zest wasn’t lost among the other flavors in the bread – you’ll definitely notice its brightness. The recipe calls for a 9×5 pan, but I baked my loaf in an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 pan without issue (the cooking time was the same as the recipe suggests for the larger pan). The bread gets even better on the second day, if it lasts that long…
Walnut-Strawberry Quick Bread
from King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
1/2 cup (2 oz) chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 oz) sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups mashed strawberries
1/2 cup canola (or vegetable) oil
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9×5 loaf pan (or, even easier, spray with the cooking spray with flour).
Combine the lemon zest and sugar in a medium bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant and has a texture similar to wet sand. Add the walnuts, flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg to the bowl then whisk to combine. In a large measuring cup whisk the eggs, mashed strawberries and oil until blended. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top of the loaf is browning more than you’d like, you can tent with foil (I tented mine around 40 minutes). Remove the pan to a wire rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes then turn it out and let it cool completely on the wire rack.
I’ve made this! But it was a long time ago, and thank you for reminding me about it. I’m always happy that strawberries and asparagus appear in February…this sounds corny, I know, but it’s so hopeful somehow. {Just went outside in a fleece and no socks, and I was almost too warmly dressed. Finally!!!!!}
7 minutes to make the batter?!? This is my kind of quick bread! Thanks for sharing!
LOVE it, this is my favorite flavor for a sweet bread…love it with coconut too – great combo with straberries.
Great looking photos… We’d love to have you feature some of your dishes at kitchenartistry.com
Hey Girl! This bread looks amazing! I am adding this to my must make list!
I’m awarding you the Stylish Blogger Award! Check it out here: http://themarfarmfamily.blogspot.com/2011/02/blog-awards.html
Have a Fantastic Day!
Kim
I love strawberries and they totally remind me of the summer. We don’t have snow in Cali but we’re getting some cold heavy storms right now so I’m really wishing for spring too!
Yeah, totally over the snow here, too. I’m really hoping the groundhog was right when he predicted an early spring this year!
I’m not the biggest fan of imported winter strawberries, because they’re not nearly as good as the locally-grown summer ones… but I think I might have to make an exception for this bread. No one will notice once they’ve been mashed up and baked anyways. 🙂
This looks wonderful. I love walnuts too, just made one with orange, very modish, just another slice and then another 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Love strawberry bread!! I have a recipe fit it, but have never seen it with lemon zest. Makes perfect sense!! Can’t wait to try it again.
This looks so amazing! I love the combo of flavors!
Those ingredients sound good.. It looks nice, so Im guessing it tasted nice too
I bought strawberries too today! Must be spring in the air.
This looks like just the thing to help us get through these last few days of summer. And you can’t beat how easy it is to make.
I just bought some strawberries the other night at Central Market. They look really good, but I haven’t tasted them yet. Still trying to decide what to use them for (or if I’m going to just eat them with sugar and some creme fraiche).
I’m so done with the snow! I’m lucky enough to have some of last year’s fresh berries in the freezer though. This bread sounds like a slice of summer!
I just made a bread very similar to this, but I love the addition of the walnuts and lemon zest (especially that lemon zest… haven’t seen that in many strawberry bread recipes). Next time! Thanks for sharing.