Black Forest Quick Bread | Healthy Baking

[Quick Bread] Series I wanted to try this combo last year already. This year’s Cherry Festival finally pushed me into action. Before going to bed, I just had to quickly write down this little treasure. Avocados are always rock hard when I buy them and not ready to eat; then once they ripen, they all ripen at once and I can’t finish them in time. So I use them to make QB—healthy fats and great texture. I wasn’t happy with the first loaf—the cherries released too much juice. Once I get into that “zone”, I can’t stand a failed bake and immediately want to make another one. Xiaolong just can’t understand this attitude; he thinks everything tastes good as long as it’s edible. I sat there spacing out for a bit, thought through the reasons, and to test my theory I baked another one right away. Finally, I was satisfied. [Flavor] It tastes like a brownie, but it’s different from the cherry QB I wrote in 2017. That 2017 version kept the cherries more or less intact and firm after baking, with very little juice. This version is different: the cherries are first soaked in a small amount of whiskey, so by the time they’re folded into the batter, they’ve already softened a bit. After baking, the result is just like the blueberry and strawberry QB I posted a few days ago—soft, jammy, bursting with juice, with more of their fragrance and sweetness coming through. Because of this, too many cherries or too much alcohol will cause excessive juicing, so do NOT casually increase the amount of cherries or liquor. [Texture] I didn’t tell Xiaolong there was avocado inside. He grew up eating high-sugar, high-fat brownies and absolutely loved this one—he didn’t notice the avocado at all. When I told him, he smacked his lips and said it was delicious, and that it didn’t have that oily aftertaste he gets from brownies made with boxed mixes. As long as something tastes like chocolate, Xiaolong calls it a brownie. In fact, brownies can be subdivided into cakey brownie, fudgy brownie and chewy brownie. • Cakey brownies are slightly puffed in volume, cake-like but denser and chewier than regular cake, with fine, thin cracks on the surface. • Fudgy brownies are denser, like a single hefty block. They’re gooey and thick when you bite in, like the difference between sticky rice dumplings and regular rice. They usually don’t contain eggs and are more like concentrated sugar. The surface cracks are thicker, almost like they’ve been overbaked. • Chewy brownies are the most common: a thick, chewy crust on the outside with a rich, soft, chocolatey center. The surface cracks are moderate and softer in appearance. I puréed the avocado and eggs in a blender. Because the eggs get slightly aerated when processed this way, the crust bakes up fairly hard and crispy. If you don’t use a blender, the crust won’t be as crisp. The texture of this loaf is interesting—still closer to a chewy brownie: a firm, crunchy, chewy surface with a more moist interior, like chocolate pudding (it’s not underbaked). If you happen to bite into the chocolate around the edges, you’ll get that fudgy feel too, with a thick, satisfying stickiness filling your mouth. As mentioned above, if you don’t blend the avocado and eggs in a machine, the inside will be a bit less airy, but that doesn’t affect how tasty it is. It’s really up to personal preference. [Pan] USA PAN 8×4 inch (20×10 cm) loaf pan Measurements use standard baking cups and spoons: 1 cup = 240 ml 1 tablespoon = 15 ml 1/2 tablespoon = 7.5 ml 1 teaspoon = 5 ml 1/2 teaspoon = 2.5 ml 1/4 teaspoon = 1.25 ml A pinch = the amount held between your thumb and index finger If you’re new to quick breads, it’s best to first read through the basic principles. Likewise, before asking any questions, please read this a few times: http://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404038181522644052#_0 More quick bread recipes: https://www.xiachufang.com/recipe_list/102450607/