The Proof is in the Pudding [Bread]
Okay, you got me - So I’m a day late in celebrating World Bread Day which was designated as October 16th, but as any baker will tell you, good bread takes time. Of course, I did end up making a quick bread, but it was the planning that took the most time and set me behind schedule. Seeing practically every foodie in the blogosphere talking about this date for weeks, surely it would be hard to miss it, you might argue, but truly it was just an unfortunate chain of coincidences that postponed the party. If I finally had time to turn on the oven, the sun wouldn’t be out [to capture the best pictures, lest I fail you dear readers with sub-par food porn!] If the sun decided to come out, I wouldn’t have enough ingredients on hand.
If I had enough ingredients… And so it went, that nothing was happening in the kitchen except for defrosting the occasional frozen waffle under the broiler.Just as the window of opportunity seemed to be closing, the sun emerged from behind the clouds and incredibly, everything I needed to make a delicious, easy bread was right there, waiting to be combined and baked! Finding a box of instant butterscotch pudding with no animal products on that bright, early morning was truly the catalyst, an incredible treat in and of itself. While I had originally snatched up a package just for a quick snack, inspiration struck and that sweet, powdery mixture found it’s way into a quick bread instead.
Soft, delightfully chewy around the edges, and hinting of caramel undertones, I don’t know if you even need the chocolate chips to make this easy treat irresistible. Of course, it certainly didn’t hurt to include it, either.
Butterscotch Pudding Bread
1 Cup Soymilk
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar 1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 3.5-Ounce Package Instant Butterscotch Pudding
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
Preheat your oven to 350 °F and liberally grease a medium loaf pan.
Combine the soymilk and vinegar and let the mixture stand for a few minutes to curdle. Use your stand or hand mixer to mix it on a high speed, until it becomes nice and frothy. Then add in your sugar and oil, mixing again to combine. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and powder, and salt. Slowly incorporate these dry ingredients into the wet, pausing so that the mixer can process everything. Finally, toss in your chocolate chips and stir to distribute.
Pour your batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, until golden brown on the outside and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaf rest for at least 15 minutes before moving it to a cooling rack. Tempting as it may be, try to resist cutting it until it has fully cooled, and do use a serrated knife!
Briefly toasted to just barely re-melt chips and warm a thick slice through, there are few other breakfasts [or lunches, or snacks, or desserts] that can compare.
[This article was written for BitterSweet and the Well Fed Network. Please contact the author directly for permission to reprint elsewhere!]
