I confess I have always had a great interest in fringe religious groups such as The Shakers, The Quakers, The Amish, The Hutterites, The Doukhobors, The United Brethren, etc.  I am not sure why. It's not their beliefs that draw my interest so much as it is their lifestyle and their food. Especially their food. Simple, hearty and natural for the most part, homegrown, etc.

This was especially true of the Shakers. They grew all of their own produce, grains, meats, etc. They ate plain and they ate hearty.  It was said that they also ate very quickly, with meals being consumed from start to finish in less than fifteen minutes! There was nobody lingering over the table afterwards.

They loved to have people drop by for meals. I am not sure if they accepted payment for this or not.  I read an account of someone who lived with them for a little time, and he made mention of being served hot biscuits and butter for every meal, with meat, potatoes and the vegetables of the season. As well there was coffee and milk and something for dessert. All homemade from Shaker produced goods.

Nothing complicated. Good simple, hearty meals. It sounds mighty tasty to me.

 

 

• 2 cups (250g) plain all-purpose flour, unsifted
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup (120g) grated strong cheddar cheese
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten with a fork
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
• 2 TBS melted butter

HOW TO MAKE SHAKER CHEESE BREAD

Like most quick breads it is a matter of combining dry and wet ingredients. This does have the added step of having to let it sit for 20 minutes prior to baking. Do take that into consideration when making this bread.

Butter an 8-inch bread pan well. Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together into a bowl. Whisk in the cheese and the onion.

Whisk together the egg, milk and melted butter.

Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together to blend. It will be a thick dough. Do not beat or overmix. (If you think it is too stiff you can add a bit more milk.)

Spread into the prepared pan and leave to sit for 20 minutes.

 

 

It turned out beautiful. It had a lovely texture and flavor and cuts into lovely slices. It was delicious sliced and buttered. I highly recommend!  Those Shakers were good cooks and bakers!

  

I am a huge fan of quick breads.  They go together quickly and easily and fabulous served on the side of soups, stews, salads, etc. Beautiful warm or cold.  Here are a few more that I enjoy!

 

CHEDDAR CORNBREAD MUFFINS - Prepare yourself to fall in love!!  These cornbread muffins with cheese are the absolute best cheddar cornbread muffins on the planet! They are moist and delicious. Never dry like some cornbread muffins can be. They are moist and delicious. Never dry like some cornbread muffins can be.

FLAKY BUTTER BISCUITS - These lovely biscuits are a beautiful addition to any meal.  They are incredibly light and fluffy and very moist, not dry. There is a hefty amount of butter in them which gives them buttery flaky layers. At the same time the buttermilk helps to make them moist and to rise even more than usual biscuits. This is an excellent biscuit.

Yield: One 8-inch loaf

Author: Marie Rayner

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Shaker Cheese Bread

Prep time: 35 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 35 M

This has a beautiful flavor and texture. It is delicious served with soups, salads, stews, etc. A sturdy bread it cuts beautifully. Bear in mind when timing that it needs to sit for 20 minutes prior to baking.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) plain all-purpose flour, unsifted
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup (120g) grated strong cheddar cheese
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten with a fork
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
• 2 TBS melted butter

Instructions

1. Butter an 8-inch bread pan well. Set aside.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together into a bowl. Whisk in the cheese and the onion.
3. Whisk together the egg, milk and melted butter.
4. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together to blend. It will be a thick dough. Do not beat or overmix. (If you think it is too stiff you can add a bit more milk.)
5. Spread into the prepared pan and leave to sit for 20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. (regular oven not fan)
7. Bake for 1 hour. It is done when it is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Tip out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool. This can be served warm or at room temperature, cut into slices and buttered. It also freezes well.

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