Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread Recipe
Today was a good day to bake this Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread Recipe… You see, I woke up cranky today because I spent the night listening to a leaky faucet.
I wanted Chocolate (and a plumber).
You know…. you can wish and hope and dream, but it is only very seldom that the wish-Fairies will drop off a piece of chocolate cake in your bed (and they never drop a plumber!)
I have got to get some new wish fairies!
As it is, I took matters into my own hands. Called a plumber and headed into the kitchen to bake. It had to be chocolate, it had to be made of stuff in my kitchen (because I was waiting for the plumber), and it couldn’t be too fussy… I was just not in the mood for fussy. And, a little fruit couldn’t hurt….got to keep it healthy, after all…
Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread satisfied my mood perfectly. Dark rich chocolate “cake” (in loaf form) studded with chocolate chips and tart/sweet dried cherries….swoon.
The smell of it baking filled the house (and made the plumber wish he lived here)…. I could hardly wait until it cooled enough to slice.
mmmmmm…. and with a dollop of whipped cream? Holy cow!
I’m feeling much better now.
Do use a high quality chocolate when baking Chocolate Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread. I use Dove Dark Chocolate for best results. Yes, you can use store brand chocolate chips, but the flavor isn’t as deep and rich. It just isn’t. (So, if you are making this for you, use the good stuff… if you are baking for a hoard of hungry teens who don’t even chew before they swallow? use the cheaper stuff…. just don’t try to get away with it in my house, my people have been trained to notice the difference). I’ve noticed that stores put “holiday” bags of chocolates on sale the day after any given holiday. I stock up then… store the bags in a cool dry place…. then I don’t pay full price for that pretty wrapper.
As always… there are step by step photos for you to follow along at home.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread Recipe
Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 oz. Dark Chocolate (I prefer Dove)
- 1 cup Butter
- 1 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 4 Eggs
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- 3/4 cup Dried Cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (that's 325... a bit lower than for cookies)
- Prepare 2 9x5 inch loaf pans.... spray with nonstick stuff, then line the bottom with parchment paper. (I know it's a hassle... but nothing is more frustrating than getting to the "take the bread out of the pan" stage, and it STICKS!!)
- Unwrap the chocolate... if it's a big chunk, break it up a bit. I melt mine in a {pyrex measuring cup|http://amzn.to/1Ox0x3B] the microwave (takes about 90 seconds), stir occasionally, and be sure to keep it away from any water! Water and chocolate don't like each other. If water gets into the chocolate you are melting, the chocolate will seize. That means it will become a hard crumbly mess. (You can maybe rescue it with some shortening.. but that's a pain).
- Ok, melted? Stir and set aside for a few minutes....
- In the bowl of a stand mixer... combine the room temperature (provided that you don't live at the North Pole) butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy... this should take 4 minutes.
- Add the Vanilla Extract... beat in
- Add the eggs... one at a time... beat between each new egg.
- Scrape the sides... beat some more.
- Add the sour cream (don't add low fat... who are we kidding?)... beat some more.
- So you know, the batter will look like a curdled mess at this time. DON'T PANIC! This is normal... we'll smooth it out.
- Add the melted chocolate... and beat to combine. (No, will still not look "right")
- Whisk the flour and baking soda together...in a bowl or large measuring cup... slowly add to the batter, about 1/3 at a time. I've now learned that if you use a spatula to fold the flour in a bit before starting the mixer, you won't end up with flour in your face. (I really need a splash guard on my mixer...)
- Beat the batter for a minute on medium-low.... scrape... beat again a bit.... good
- Add the chocolate chips and dried cherries... beat just to mix them all through the batter.
- Now... you have your pans all prepared, right? Oven is hot?
- Divide the batter between the pans.
- Stick into oven for 60 to 65 minutes (if at 60 it looks really jiggly, go to 65)
- Bing
- Take the breads out of the oven and set onto a cooling rack. Leave them alone for 20 minutes (yes, you can stand next to them and smell, but NO PICKING)
- After 20 minutes, remove the loaves from the pan... if they seem stuck on the side, carefully run a knife around the edges, then they should pop right out.
- Cool a bit longer on the rack.
- Now you can eat.
Storage Caddies to Keep your Quick Breads Fresh
Nordic Ware Loaf Cake Keeper, Red
Ezy Storage In My Home Loaf Caddy, Blue/Purple/Pink/Gray
&
Step By Step Instructions with Photos
Line the Baking Pans With Parchment Paper
Take the Time… it’s worth the effort
Melt 9 oz. of Good Quality of Dark Chocolate
It should melt down to around 3/4 of a cup
Beat Butter and Sugar until Light and Fluffy
About 3 to 5 minutes
Batter Will Look Broken after Adding Sour Cream
It’s fine… push on
See…Once the Flour Mixture Goes in… It’s Fine
But don’t stop now!
Add Dried Cherries and Chocolate Chips, and Beat until just combined
Now…if you have people in your house that say “eeewww!!!” whenever you put dried fruit into things… you can leave it out.
Split the Batter Between Two Loaf Pans
Smooth the Top a Bit
Baked…in Cool-Down Mode
Use a Rack
Chocolate Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread Stores Well
Keep a Chocolate Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread in the freezer for those Chocolate Emergencies… or bake sales that come up…or pot luck lunches that you just remembered…
Wrap the cooled Quick Bread in Plastic Wrap, and then wrap it in foil… LABEL IT (name and date) before you put it into the freezer.
When you are ready to use it, just let it thaw on the counter in its wrapper!
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