Buttermilk Chocolate Bread

This isn’t your typical quick bread. It’s closer to a fudgy chocolate cake disguised as a loaf.

Melted semi-sweet chocolate chips get beaten into a butter-sugar-egg-buttermilk base, turning the batter a deep, dark brown. The buttermilk adds tang and moisture that keeps the crumb soft for days.

Chopped pecans and maraschino cherries fold in at the end. The cherries add pockets of juicy sweetness and bright color against the dark chocolate crumb. Don’t overmix once the dry ingredients go in. A few streaks of flour are fine. Overworking develops gluten and turns your tender bread tough.

Baked in three mini loaf pans, each one gets a drizzle of creamy cherry glaze made from powdered sugar, cream, and chopped maraschino cherries. The glaze seeps into the cracks on top and hardens into a sweet, pink-streaked crust.

Chef Tips

• Melt the chocolate chips gently and beat them in while still warm. Cold chocolate seizes up and creates lumps in the batter.
• Stir the dry ingredients in until just moistened. The recipe says it twice for a reason. Heavy mixing is the enemy.
• Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before unmolding. These are fragile while warm.

Variations

• Use dried tart cherries instead of maraschino for a less sweet, more sophisticated flavor.
• Swap pecans for walnuts or hazelnuts for a different nut pairing.
• Skip the glaze and dust with powdered sugar for a simpler, less sweet finish.