Feeling Older: Grape Nuts Bread

Growing up in the 1970s, I felt like there were somethings that were distinctly Refined. Grown Up. Sophisticated.

Baking bread was one of those things. When my dad let me help knead bread? I was puffed up with self-importance.

Eating non-sugared cereal was another. Shredded wheat. Bran Flakes. Grape Nuts.

Three cheers for The Milwaukee Ward Relief Society Cookbook, and Marian Loeffler's contribution, for combining my ideas of sophistication in one swell recipe:

Grape Nuts Bread
Marian Loeffler

1 c. Grape Nuts in 2 c. milk for 1 hour. Add 1 egg beaten. Stir together

1 c. sugar
4 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Sift dry ingredients, add to wet mixture. Let bread stand about 20 minutes in pan before baking. Makes 12 large muffins and 1 small loaf. Bake at 350°.

Well, that's a very, very slow quick bread...

And yet I can taste it. The soaked Grape Nuts, releasing their nutty maltiness into the milk. The sugar -- which I'd like to take out a tablespoon or two and replace with some brown sugar.

I imagine this will taste good with a slather of butter and some honey, or a dab of mustard and sliced ham. Oh, yes. Sliced ham will play nicely with this. The smokiness, the sweetness... it calls out for Grape Nuts bread.

A bit of Google-Fu suggests that this Marian Loeffler might well be Mrs. Charles Loeffler; if so, then she and her husband are regular contributors to health-related charities in Milwaukee.