puckery buggers

July 27 2009 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Breakfast,Recipe » 19 comments

This summer, I seem to be just a step behind when it comes to the coming’s and going’s of seasonal produce. I’m still craving asparagus, for instance, even though the bundles of spears danced out of season weeks ago. And I’ve got some lovely rhubarb recipes that will have to remain dog-earred until next spring, when those sassy stalks reappear. Recently, I posted a salad studded with freshly-shelled peas, just as early summer was sliding into mid-summer, pushing peas out the door. [For the record, though, peas were back at the Wicker Park Farmers' Market this weekend!] I’m afraid that my timing is off again here, with today’s recipe—a quick bread dotted with tart cherries.

Tart cherries (any cherries, for that matter) were nowhere to be seen as I walked through the market on Sunday morning, with Kevin and my mom (!). They slip in and out of season in a flash, which is not a bad plan, on their part—as it just leaves us wanting more. But maybe you’ve been smart enough to squirrel away a pint or two in your freezer. Or, better yet, maybe the cherries are still gracing the markets where you live (for all I know, they could still be around here too, especially at the larger markets like Green City). Or maybe you’ll be good enough to save this recipe for the next time cherry season rolls around. Or, hey I know!, maybe you’ll think of just the fruit to stand in for the cherries.

Whatever the maybe’s may be, I really want to share this recipe with you today.

It’s a spin on my tried-and-true basic quick bread recipe, but this loaf gets a heartier texture and a lovely yellow hue from the addition of stone-ground cornmeal. I’ve got quite the thing for cornmeal at the moment. Turns out that the galette was just a gateway recipe. Since then, I’ve been throwing it into everything I make that even loosely falls into the butter-flour-sugar category.

The slight crunch that the stone-ground cornmeal delivers is charming, especially against the sweetness of a baked good. It’s like seeing a girl in a frilly dress, and then noticing her armful of bad-ass tattoos. Or coming across a poodle, who happens to be wearing a spike-studded collar. You get the idea—a little bit of sweetness co-existing with a hint of grit. The tart cherries, of course, fit this formula too: a prettier color you’ll never see, but pop one of the puckery buggers in your mouth and ooooh-eeeee, they’ll make your face squinch up. Which is why I love tart cherries in this recipe, even if I have to wait for next summer to find them again.

Tart Cherry-Cornmeal Quick Bread

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup tart cherries, stems and pits removed

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan.

In the bowl of a standmixer or using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites, buttermilk, sour cream and extract; mix until combined.

In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and soda, and salt. Add all but a tablespoon or so of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, with the mixer running at low speed; mix until just combined.

Toss the cherries in the reserved dry ingredients. Gently fold the cherries into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the loaf to a rack and cool completely.

19 comments so far. »
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Half Assed Kitchen says on July 27 2009 at 8:14 pm:

Oh. Yum. I’m onto blueberry muffins at the moment.
Katie Ann says on July 27 2009 at 8:39 pm:

I have a large bag of dried cranberries that I’ve been puzzling over what to do with. Do you think any special steps would have to be taken to use dried fruit instead of fresh?
Andrea [bella eats] says on July 28 2009 at 5:43 am:

Mmmm…delicious. I bet this would be great with the blackberries I’ve got way-too-many of in my backyard right now.
nik says on July 28 2009 at 8:42 am:

Katie Ann, I would, personally, reconstitute your cranberries in water, but cranberry juice or even a liquor/wine are options as well. If you use liquor it will also flavor your cranberries. Pour the same amount of liquid as the amount of cranberries you will be using. Heating the concoction will help the cranberries absorb even faster. Hope that helps!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on July 28 2009 at 8:53 am:

Katie Ann: I agree with Nik. To boost flavor, your reconstitution liquid could be boozy. Let us know how it goes!
Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes) says on July 28 2009 at 10:57 am:

Mmm.. The first picture looks soo good!! Wish I had a slice of this!
Emily says on July 28 2009 at 1:10 pm:

You know how I feel about quick breads… This looks delightful.
ingrid says on July 28 2009 at 1:30 pm:

Mmmm, that’s gorgeous! I NEED cornmeal! Still haven’t found any at Publix. I’m just gonna ask my grocery manager.

Btw, I made and blogged about your strawberry shortcake. I of course included a link back to you. Thanks!
~ingrid
Jennifer says on July 28 2009 at 4:13 pm:

I am going to make this! I have been looking for a great bread recipe to make with all the cherries I have on hand! Perfect!!! Cherries here are still in abundance but when I loved far north fresh produce came and left in the blink of an eye too!
Kaitlyn says on July 28 2009 at 7:08 pm:

I just made a sour cherry cobbler with cherries I found at the market this weekend. Summer is definitely going by too fast, but at least we get to enjoy all the produce while it lasts!
monica says on July 28 2009 at 7:58 pm:

I got some sour cherries at green city last saturday; bet you can get them this weekend, too.
Whitney says on July 29 2009 at 5:15 am:

I have been obsessed with sour cherries. I have 2 quarts frozen to pull out this fall and I soaked some in vodka for a week and can’t wait to use it in a cocktail.

Off to take the MBE!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on July 29 2009 at 7:55 pm:

Half Assed Kitchen: Oh, I could be convinced on blueberry muffins, too. : )

Andrea: Blackberries? In your backyard? You are one lucky lady. (And I think they’d be perfect here!)

Avanika: Thank you!

Emily: It’s a weakness we share, you and me. You’ll have to let me know how this compares to our old favorites. Also, where did July go? It’s been nearly a month since Boulder!

ingrid: Thanks for linking! As for cornmeal, you should consider ordering online.

Jennifer: I hope you do! Let us know how you like it.

Kaitlyn: Way, way too fast. The less-than-summery weather isn’t helping …

monica: Thanks for the tip! I’ll cross my fingers for this weekend.

Whitney: Vodka! What a spectacular idea. Kind of like grown-up maraschino cherries. I hope you’re enjoying your first night of post-bar bliss.
Diane says on July 29 2009 at 8:14 pm:

It was so fun going to the market in Wicker Park with you this weekend. You know how we love our Minneapolis market, but it was so fun to see a new venue…GREAT! Thanks for the fabulous fun filled weekend and we will see you soon for Minnesota blueberries. Love, MOM
holler says on July 30 2009 at 12:10 pm:

That looks soft, moist and delicious. I don’t care about season
Sam@BingeNYC says on July 30 2009 at 12:37 pm:

Any cherry + cornmeal combination is heaven in my book. I just tried a cake version, I think this bread may be next!
ingrid says on August 01 2009 at 3:41 pm:

Hey, there! I made these on Thursday. I subbed out the cherries for blackberries. The twins weren’t too keen on it but Joe, Babygirl, and myself LOVED it. The texture was great. Thanks for sharing. Oh, and I bought organic wholegrain polenta which I found out was cornmeal.
~ingrid
Caroline says on August 11 2009 at 7:11 pm:

Wonderful writing. I loved this post. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy life to keep this food blog going! It inspires me to do the same….
simple online recipes says on August 14 2009 at 11:29 am:

Oh my God does that every look good..

This will be on my table before too long.!!!

I love it and I am going to try it.
It sounds so fantastic and the picture is great.!!!

Thanks for sharing.!!!