My Creative Life #9 - Yo Yo Yogurt Loaf

Ahhh baking... it just makes me smile. I began baking when I was sucking bad in college. I was supposed to be a creative person but the work I did felt stale, I felt unproductive and robotic... anti-creative. Good ideas but less than adequate skills of execution. Things just didn't turn out the way that I expected. 

But baking was different. The results were almost always the same as my expectations. It made me happy and best of all it made other people happy. Even if the finished product isn't perfect, people always make the best of baked goods. It is just so fun to eat something that has been created by hand in the kitchen. 

A no-fail recipe is the ultimate in satisfaction. This yogurt loaf is one of those recipes. I have made it a few times and it always turns out well. Even when it is a little undercooked it is still tasty. The best thing about this recipe is I have discovered why my loaves always overcook... the outside edges burn while the centre is mushy. My oven is too hot!

This recipe suggests a lower temperature than most with a longer cooking time. The result is a perfectly browned loaf with a lovely moist inside. The yogurt makes it almost creamy to eat. It is also more "lite" than a traditional loaf due to more yogurt and less butter. Of course I use the super creamy hi-fat mediterranean style yogurt but the original recipe admits that a lighter yogurt is fine. I used alternative sweeteners since I am trying to avoid refined sugar. I have also made this as a raspberry, white chocolate and lime loaf. My next will involve blueberry and orange! Date and orange with walnuts would be nice too... ohhh, peach, pecan and blueberry... endless variations.

This particular loaf was made for a lovely lunch at a friend's home on Saturday hence the space-aged wrapping job.

Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf

• 2 cups flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 cup butter softened
  
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  
• 1/4 cup honey
  
• 4 egg whites
  
• 1/2 cup yogurt
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
  
• 1 cup blueberries
  

Optional glaze for super lemony loaf:

• 3 tbsp lemon juice
  
• 3 tbsp sugar
  

Heat oven to 325˚ and butter loaf pan. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar. Beat in the egg whites, yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice until well blended. Add flour mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Spread into loaf pan and bake for 70 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan to cool completely. Dissolve sugar into lemon juice, poke holes in loaf and pour glaze over top.