INSIDE CHELLZ KITCHEN
Michelle Phetlhe | Tuesday June 4, 2024 12:52
I will be sharing tips for achieving the perfect texture and flavour, discuss variations and additions to customise your recipe, and highlight the health benefits of incorporating blueberries into your baking. Blueberries, often described as a super food, are not only delicious but also packed with an overabundance of health benefits. From their rich nutritional profile to their powerful antioxidants, these small yet mighty berries can be a flavourful addition to your diet while boosting your well-being. You can whip up this easy recipe in less than 10 minutes and you don’t even need a mixer! The batter is just thick enough to prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the pan (which no one likes!). This batter ensures a loaf that is studded with juicy blueberries all the way. Another great thing about this Blueberry loaf is that it keeps fresh for days and can also be frozen. Perfect on those busy school mornings for quick breakfast or to include in your #mopako101 alongside your choice of Danone product. I bought a tub of blueberries the other day with intentions of making muffins or this very loaf. Only to get home and it hit me that my oven blew a fuse a couple of days ago.
Our first born, Leboko, was very excited to look into the now opened plug, as he could identify all the different components, which he is currently learning about in his science school work. As he went on about the earth wire and the live and neutral, I was proud of the boy but couldn’t help but be annoyed because the discovery was made just as I prepped supper and was about to load it into the oven. We went on to have quite a sad week with there being a bereavement in the family, days went by in a haze. My lack of appetite contributed to my spending less time in the kitchen. After seeing our nephew off this past Friday, we got home in the evening and I crawled straight into bed and passed out soon as my head hit the pillow after nibbling on some balsamic vinegar crisps and ginger biscuits. I woke up mid-morning and I remembered my blueberries.
The reason why I went out of my way and drove down to ChellzKitchen HQ to bake this loaf was because blueberries are so expensive. Had I allowed them to go off I would have never been able to forgive myself. I grabbed our second born Shalom and took him with me so he gets some fresh air and a little bit of activity. He has a small cold, which reared its head a day ago and we are fighting it off with hydration, rest, a bit of flu meds, prayer and honey mixed with Hinds Cinnamon. This honey cinnamon combination is good for a cough, but has a lot of other benefits such as strengthening immunity, lowering cholesterol and it also makes for a great face mask.
Tips for a great loaf and baking in general: Always measure your flour correctly! Don’t scoop the flour! Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can make the bread dense and dry. If you like sweeter breads, you can increase the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup. For the best result let the blueberries come to room temperature before adding them to the batter. Dry the blueberries thoroughly after washing them. Don’t over mix. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 15 light strokes. It’s ok if there are some small lumps. Over mixing can cause the bread to be tough and bake unevenly. Congratulations to our month of May winners in the Hinds #Moneyinthepots competition. Check out the Chellzkitchen FB page for details on the next one. RIP ‘L The Street Poet’, we love you forever.
INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/8 cup white sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 cup milk ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 egg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Grease a loaf pan. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir milk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract into flour mixture until just blended; add blueberries and gently fold into batter and pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 45 - 50 minutes. Cool briefly on a wire rack before inverting carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool completely.