White Chocolate Peanut Butter Loaf

Although I didn’t get around to creating a Christmas cookie recipe this year, I did spend some time trying to perfect a bread recipe that was inspired by my white chocolate peanut butter latte. After all, what could go better with a specialty coffee than some sort of baked good?

As I mentioned in my former post, I was quite busy this fall, so I didn’t have a lot of time to dedicate to this recipe.. Fortunately, my younger sister helped me out with this one when she offered to make it herself and try to figure out why it was initially turning out so dry. What she determined is that i needed to add twice as much buttermilk, then add more sweetener to counteract any sour taste the added buttermilk might bring.

My little sister is a gifted baker, so her advice seemed good, and I thought I’d test out her ideas at a later time. I didn’t get around to it, however, until  she was asking for my revised recipe again weeks later.  After seeing a picture of her last white chocolate peanit butter loaf, complete with chopped up peanuts and drizzled white chocolate on top, I felt motivated to make it myself. And I must say, I am so pleased with the end results!

The secret to this recipe is to chill the loaf in the fridge. Not only will it allow for easy slicing, but it also better brings out the bread’s taste. Before setting it in the fridge, I sprinkled  some Reeses baking chips (found in the baking aisle at my local Walmart) over the top of the loaf while it was still warm. Then, once they had softened, I spread the mixture out with a knife and drizzled melted white chocolate over that, adding extra flavor and a little bit of crunch once the toppings had hardened. There are plenty of options for garnishing the top,  however. A white chocolate and/or peanut butter cream cheese frosting would be delicious, or  serve it like my younger sister did with crushed peanuts and drizzled white chocolate for a more elegant loaf! No matter how you garnish it (or don’t), you’ll be sure to enjoy it if you like peanut butter like I do!

WHITE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER LOAF

Ingredients:

1 4 oz white chocolate baking bar
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c apple sauce
1 egg
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 baking powder
1/2 t salt

Optional toppings: melted white chocolate,  peanut butter chips or candy, peanut butter, peanuts, white chocolate and/or peanut butter cream cheese frosting

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt the white chocolate over medium heat on the stove, then add the peanut butter and stir until combined. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl,  mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, apple sauce, and egg, then stir in the white chocolate peanut butter mixture.

Once combined, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool once removed from the oven and garnish as desired. For best results, chill in the fridge before slicing. Makes one loaf.