-recipe courtesy Foodland Ontario; ontario.ca/foodland
The Best Quick Loaf with Crumble-Top
This moist and lightly sweetened quick loaf is fun to wrap up in pretty packaging – perfect as a hostess gift or to bring to a teacher or neighbour. The hardest part is deciding which variation to make, apple, pear or carrot, full-size or mini? Serves 12.
Loaf:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp each baking soda and salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 Ontario egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
¹⁄₃ cup butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup diced Ontario apples (unpeeled)
¹⁄₃ cup toasted chopped walnuts
Crumble Top:
¼ cup each all-purpose flour, large-flaked rolled oats, packed brown sugar and chopped walnuts
¼ cup butter, melted
½ tsp cinnamon
In small bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, walnuts, butter and cinnamon; set aside.
In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Make well in centre; add egg, buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Sprinkle with apples and walnuts; stir just until combined.
Spread into parchment paper-lined or buttered 9- x 5-inch metal loaf pan, smoothing top. Sprinkle with crumble-top.
Bake in 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes.
Turn out onto rack to cool completely.
Variations:
Pear-Pecan: Substitute pecans for walnuts. In loaf, reduce cinnamon to 1/2 tsp and add 1-1/2 tsp ground ginger. Switch apples with Ontario pears.
Carrot-Walnut: Substitute 1 cup shredded Ontario carrots for apples.
Mini-Loaves: Use three approximately 5- x 3-inch loaf pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes.
Tip: Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, place into freezer-safe bags and freeze up to 3 months.