The Frugal Diva: Quickbread Edition ...

Yummy quick bread or heavy-weight doorstop? You make the call.

Ok, I'm kidding, and mostly because I'm not really a fan of quick breads. They're too often leaden in texture and lacking the soft, chewy comfort one desires of a loaf. That being said I'm long ... very long ... on fresh dill and I've still got that barrel of chickpea flour with which to contend. Astra Libris mentioned using the chickpea flour in quick breaks awhile back and that got me thinking; the ginormous bunch of dill residing in my fridge got me baking. Here's what I did with it ...

Cheddar Dill Quick Bread:

• 1/2 cup of chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of all-purpose white flour
• 2 tsp. of baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. of ground cayenne pepper*
  
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1 scant tbsp. of brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. of fresh thyme*
• 2 or 3 tbsp. of snipped fresh dill
• 1 1/4 cup of shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup of grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup milk*

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, the baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt and brown sugar and whisk well to combine. Add the shredded cheese and herbs to the dry ingredients and mix well.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk together and add them to the dry ingredients, stir to mix until just combined. The batter will be VERY thick and stiff. Scrape the batter into a 9 inch, non-stick, loaf pan, smoothing the top and pressing it into the corners of the pan. Bake the loaf in the middle of the pre-heated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan. Serve warm and enjoy!
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The results? A savory, delicious loaf that's bright with the flavor of fresh dill and rich with all the yummy goodness you'd expect from cheese. The chickpea flour, while not the predominant flavor, is there in the background - adding a bit of whimsy and intrigue to the mix. Frankly, I love this bread. I love it too much.

Its delicious all on its own, right out of the pan, but I'm not going to lie - I buttered my slice. So sue me. Life's too short to live without butter!

A couple of notes on the recipe. One, I know its not Beachy. I could probably have replaced all of the white flour with a combination of whole wheat and chickpea flour ... but I was trying to build success into my quick bread mission. Same is true for the bit of brown sugar. Certainly, I could have opted for agave nectar ... but I have yet to master baking with it. Again, success was my intent. Feel free to play around with both the flour and other non-sugar ingredients and report back to me.

As for the thyme, it was hanging around my fridge too. Thyme and dill play well together, so in it went. Feel free to use whatever herbs you have on hand. All will be well. Lastly, the cayenne ... the brand I use is *super* hot. Insanely hot - thus the 1/8 teaspoon. If your pepper is less potent, why not live dangerously and up that to a 1/4 teaspoon? Your choice.

I'm well pleased with the results of my frugality. This savory bread will in no way be mistaken for a doorstop and I've made a small ... ok, very small ... dent in the chickpea flour and dill. I smell a series in the making ... stay tuned!

So, have you got a favorite quick bread recipe that won't be mistaken for a doorstop? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetite!