Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Bread

Stuff and things:

• I’m finally caught up on The Walking Dead. I told myself I wouldn’t start season three until it was finished [I love being able to watch six episodes in a row, don’t you?], but I caved. It’s sucked me in like no show has since Lost or The OC in a really long time. 
  
• Christmas shopping is virtually done. Wrapping, however, is not.
• Wine sippy cups.
• The Muppet Christmas Carol is my favorite Christmas movie [and soundtrack] of all time.
• This noise-free workout kicks ass. Turbo crab kicks are the biggest source of said ass kicking.
• I kind of love this wallpaper. For a bathroom. Or this.

I’ve gone on a boredom baking binge. Help me. I can’t even blame it on the time of year. It was inevitable since I’ve been watching so much TV. I hardly watch TV, so now that that binge is over, it’s baking time. I didn’t have baking powder for the longest time [it went bad, and I kept forgetting to replace it]. I hardly had chocolate chips in the house [now? Fully stocked.]. All I’m missing is cocoa powder, and I could make just about any traditional baked good on a whim [this from the girl who keeps her fridge stocked with condiments].

I went straight for the quick bread on my first free moment of bake-dom. Cinnamon is really one of my favorite spices. Next to curry. Curry cinnamon bread really doesn’t sound too appetizing [but curry coconut macaroons do], though. Cinnamon is pretty versatile, tasting good on just about anything. I don’t grind my own, as much as I would like to [have you smelled/tasted the fresh stuff? Heaven.]. Laziness generally prevails in the name of certain conveniences.

I threw chocolate chips in here because I could. I’m certainly not above just a dense, chewy loaf of carbs and cinnamon. It just seemed like the thing to do at the time. Helping myself to a few while I stirred the sweet batter may have had something to do with it. Nine times out of ten, I enjoy eating the batter/dough of most baked goods more than I do than the final product. Raw eggs be damned.

I should have mixed this batter by hand. Breads like this usually don’t benefit from the beating it takes from the stand mixer, even on low. The crumb turns more fine than I’d like, but it didn’t stop me from eating 3/4 of it by myself. I had to hide it in the microwave to keep the ants from coming to the party. They’re insufferable.

Inspiration: Eat, Live, Run

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 dark chocolate chips
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• demerara sugar for the top, optional but oh-so-crunchy and good

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°, and spray/grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, minus the chocolate chips. Add the milk and beaten egg. Stir by hand [or stand mixer on low] until the dry ingredients are wet and incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with demerara sugar if using. Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick or knife comes out clear. Allow to cool before serving. Lasts several days when stored in an airtight container.