Thursday, May 20, 2010

Strawberry Tea Bread - Sweet Cheeks Winery



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We have in our community a winery with a most unusual name. Before that can be shared, I must describe, as best I can, the property on which the winery sits. The acreage is bisected by a service road that cuts through the two rounded hillsides on which the grapes are grown. A contingent of locals insisted the property resembled a well-rounded derriere and conspired to have the winery named Sweet Cheeks. It worked. Now this kind of nonsense can't be plucked from the ether. Every word of this is true. I swear. I'm going to resist jokes about "bottom lands" and instead send those of you who would like to know more about the winery or my veracity here. Now, it is perfectly logical to ask why I bothered to tell you about the winery at all. It's also reasonable to ask what it has to do with a strawberry tea bread. So, here's how we got from there to here. I had promised to bring four loaves of this bread to a meeting this morning. I was in such a rush to finish the breads that I misjudged the distance between oven racks and, as a result, the bottom loaves baked into the racks above them. Bob thought the crease that developed in the two bottom loaves was a lot funnier than was actually the case and dubbed my loaves Sweet Cheeks Strawberry Bread. Those who are fond of European tea breads that are less sweet than their American counterparts will love this bread. If you are accustomed to a really sweet strawberry bread, you might want to take a pass on this. I'll let you judge for yourselves. Here's the recipe.

Strawberry Tea Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted, divided use

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well.
3) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Batter will be thick. Fold in strawberries and 1/2 cup nuts.
4) Scrape into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top with reserved 1/4 cup walnuts. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemon Poppyseed Bread - One Perfect Bite
Irish Soda Bread - One Perfect Bite
Sugar Crusted Viennese Nut Bread - One Perfect Bite

56 comments :

PranisKitchen said...

wow mary..what a delicious bread .with fresh strawberries and muts i can imagine how tasty it will be..awesome

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

That's a beauty of a bread Mary and one funny story!

Eliana said...

This rustic bread looks so stunning and flavorful!

Lyndas recipe box said...

I'm sure your kitchen smelled amazing with this bread in the oven! I haven't had strawberry bread in ages, so this is bookmarked!
Such a funny story; good for a chuckle before bed. Have a great week Mary. :)

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Mary, this is perfect to have it with a cup of tea, simply yummy!

Sushma Mallya said...

wow what a beautiful & perfectly baked bread, just loved it mary, have a nice day ..

Devaki said...

Dear Mary - I could not stop laughing as I read your post. What wonderful writing!

I LOVE TEA breads - I am such an anglophile I confess :) Your tea bread is straight up my alley. So the next time I am looking for a strawberry bread I know where to come.

Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

3 hungry tummies said...

I came from a small town famous for its strawberries. My aunt used to make something not dissimilar to this. Bringing back such fond memories, thank you Mary!

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Buongiorno Mary,
questo dolce deve essere ottimo con il tea.
Hai sempre delle ottime idee :-)
Posso chiederti quanti anni hai ?
Happy day.

♥Sugar♥Plum♥Fairy♥ said...

Lovely Strawberry bread, stawberry in Cake is simply awesome:-))
And u have lods of goodness filled in!

Cherine said...

What a beautiful cake! Perfect with a cup of tea :)

MaryMoh said...

Oooh, that's lots of goodness there. I can just see myself eating one slice after another with a lovely cup of tea. Before long, all will be in my tummy!! :D Have a lovely day. Mary

Diane said...

This sounds a wonderful recipe, but as strawberries and I don't agree, I think I will try it with cherries instead. Diane

mr. pineapple man said...

that looks heavenly...and I LOVE the name! it just guarantees the goodness!

Unknown said...

The cake looks and I'm sure tastes wonderful Mary. I could do with a slice now. :)
Have a nice day. Michael

Angie's Recipes said...

It looks very X'mas to me. :-)

Allie and Pattie said...

Oh Mary- that is most definitely something I would do! Great story! I love tea breads and this one sounds wonderful- thank you!
xoxo Pattie

Kris Ngoei said...

Absolutely love it.... looks very rich and nutty!

Sawadee from Bangkok,
Kris

Rachana said...

The bread looks so gorgeous and I love the strawberry -walnut combo...yummm:)
Have a nice day, Mary :)

Salsa Verde said...

Hi Mary,
Fantastic bread. Loved all the ingredients!!
XXXXX,
Lia.

Unknown said...

I'll have to try this -- strawberries are fantastic! It should be perfect for tea!

Carol at Serendipity said...

Mary,

Love the name of the winery! I will save this recipe as well. We both like a tea bread and strawberries are a favorite.

Carol

Barbara said...

Funny post and a great tea bread, Mary. I like your hubby's name for them. :)
I'm with you about less sweet tea breads. Besides, you can always offer a little marmalade and clotted cream if you want to be very British!

Deana Sidney said...

I like the idea of strawberries and walnuts.. never tried it before. The bread is really lovely, Mary! PS Made that wonderful eggplant of yours and it was wonderful!!!

Cathy said...

Fresh strawberries in a tea bread - yum. I know I will like this recipe because I prefer breads that aren't too sweet.

Claudia said...

Sweet cheeks strawberry bread - absolutely something I would do. I never notice the oven racks are wrong until I've preheated the oven! I do love less-sweet tea breads and if I want added sweetness - that's what jam is for. I would absolutely go for this lovely bread.

San said...

Scrumptious strawberry bread ,way subtle n it would have tasted divine.Nice pic.

My Little Space said...

Such a beautiful loaf of bread! Just hand me some butter please...yummm.... Hope you'll have a wonderful day!
Regards, Kristy

Megan said...

I want to go to Sweet Cheeks Winery with a loaf of this awesome sounding bread. Sounds like a perfect excuse for a picnic! :)

Susi's Kochen und Backen said...

Great story, and even better looking Tea Bread. It is making my mouth water as I type and would go very well with my lonely cup of coffee right now :o)

Gloria Baker said...

Mary I love your recipes, are awesome and yummy!! gloria

JG said...

Our Strawberry season is just around the corner. I will be baking this. Thanks!

What a funny story!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I am still smiling. Sweet Cheeks tea bread would be a great way to start every morning.

Dajana said...

The bread is simply adorable.

Keeley said...

I will be baking this bread. It looks like a nice departure from my usual banana bread.

Nadji said...

Un cake magnifique.
bravo!
See soon.

From the Kitchen said...

Mary, we do like the less sweet tea breads (my husband is from Europe (Poland)) and these are the "sweet" breads he remembers from his childhood. I will serve this one along with the accompanying "hoot" of a story!! Andrew went to boarding school in England and loves the idea of tea. He, however, hates anything with tapioca as an ingredient. He and his classmates called the frequent tapioca desserts "frog eyes" in a cup!

Best,
Bonnie

Julie said...

Beautiful bread! I love tea breads! It's a rainy day here, a cup of tea and a slice of that bread would be delightful!

Love the story about the winery!

Americana Lady said...

This sounds so good Mary and your husband is a crack-up! How sweet of him to try and bring some humor into a disappointing moment for you...Joan

Ana Powell said...

Well done, lovely and delicious strawberry tea bread.
I am off to Portugal for a short break :)

pigpigscorner said...

LOL sweet cheeks...The bread looks and sounds amazing!

Sarah said...

I have never had tea bread before. Looks beautiful!

Jen_from_NJ said...

I love "not so sweet" breads. Looks perfect! Great story to go with it!

sweetlife said...

sweet cheekes, how funny...great loaf I actually prefer less sweet..sometimes..haha

sweetlife

RamblingTart said...

Oh your hubby cracks me up. :-) My man would most definitely be highly amused at such a predicament as well. :-) Mmm, I've never had strawberry bread, but simply must very soon. :-)

Jeannie said...

That's hilarious! and a gorgeous bread to drool over! Pity the strawberries here are so exorbitantly priced!

Ingrid de Villiers said...

Oh Mary dear Mary...a big fat thank you for this recipe...a must for this week-end in this home of mine! Ixx

Lori said...

That is one great name for a winery. You are too funny (and your husband too).

I imagine I would like this as I lean toward the not so sweet desserts.

Deb in Hawaii said...

I love strawberry bread--this looks so delicious and the name is very fun too. ;-)

Unknown said...

That looks really yummy, I can't wait to try it.

Wobegon Cottage said...

Thank-you for this recipe..I like to make these types of breads and every season I like to use the fruits or berries that are available. I will try it this weekend.

Cara said...

I think I'm actually coming around to appreciate less-sweet treats :) this sounds delightful!

Becky said...

Mary, this looks so good. I prefer things that are not too sweet. Just mixed up a double batch of this and put it in the oven. I'm baking it in smaller pans so that I will have some to share.

sheila said...

Wow Mary! The tea bread looks so good I will have to try that recipe. Thanks for sharing!

Becky said...

Mary, I'm back to say, this bread is delicious! I posted about my version and gave you credit here. Thanks so much for posting the recipe. Mike and I both loved the bread.

And I loved your story, too. :-)

Needful Things said...

Enjoyed your post and the tea bread looks beautiful.

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