A Pinch and a Dollop

You know those days when the fruit or veggies are just sitting in your fridge, taunting you? You know you should eat them before they go bad, but every time you open the door, you just grab something else?

That’s me with these strawberries. I just couldn’t do it! Every damn time. We buy our produce straight from the farm, so things have a very short shelf life, which I love usually. It forces me to get inventive with ingredients, but some days are a struggle. And, I hate throwing really good seasonal produce away.

Hence, the Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf. Kill 3 birds with one stone, and you get a really tasty snack or breakfast! I used a recipe from Yay! For Food, and it is pretty great. I adjusted slightly, as I always do, and next time I would up the lemon factor because we like our lemon sweets pretty packed with lemon punch over here. As it is now, it is a little more subtle, so adjust your recipe accordingly if you want more of a zing! (I also skipped her drizzle- which may have added that extra lemon kick).

Ingredients:

• 2c all purpose flour
• 1/2c sugar
• 1 lemon, zested (I would use 2 lemons if not using glaze)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2c fresh strawberries, green parts and core removed, chopped (reserve 1-2 strawberries and slice for top instead of chopping).
• 1c unflavored yogurt of your choice
• 1/2c unsalted butter, melted
• juice from 1/2 lemon (I would do the whole lemon if not using glaze)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• sprinkle of turbinado sugar for top
• sprinkle of rolled oats for the top

For the Glaze (I omitted, but you might want to do for yourself)

• 1/2c sugar
• juice from 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper if using metal or glass pan. I use silicone baking pans, which I don’t love, as they tend to lose their shape when baking. But, it’s what I have! If using silicone, you don’t need parchment or anything to grease the pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries so the strawberries are covered with the flour mixture. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, butter, lemon juice, egg, and vanilla extract until creamy and uniform in appearance. Then, pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
4. Fold the mixture together until the batter is just combined (you no longer see dry ingredients and the dough will look a little raggedy, thick, and not completely smooth).
5. Knead the dough a few times; do not overtax. Place dough into loaf pan, top with sliced strawberries (push them gently into dough) and sprinkle with sugar and oatmeal.
6. Bake for 45-65 minutes, or until a toothpick or fork inserted into center comes out clean.
7. If you are making the glaze, these are the instructions. I do not know what the result is, so comment below if you make it and let me know how it turns out for you! As the bread bakes, whisk together the lemon juice and sugar until well combined.
8. After the cake is ready and still hot, poke holes using a wooden or metal skewer or the tip of a knife into the top of the bread and pour the glaze over it.
9. Let the bread cool slightly in the loaf pan before eating. Best enjoyed the same day it’s baked.