My goal of making 52 new recipes this year is off to a very fun start. I love that it’s making me try new recipes instead of making my old standbys over and over again. I’m hoping to have a much larger repertoire of favorites by the end of the year. So far my favorite new recipe is Beer Batter Cheese Bread. It’s a hearty, savory bread with a wonderful flavor that’s amazing with soup. Or on its own. For breakfast. Three days in a row. Heavenly.

This recipe is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. It’s a very easy recipe, and aside from the Gruyere, I always have all of the other ingredients in my kitchen. As much as I love to make homemade yeast breads, I also love having loaf recipes that can be made quickly. As soon as you have this mixed up and in the pan you can throw it right in the oven.

Ingredients:
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (1 cup, packed – I like a little extra)
3 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1.25 cups beer (I used Blue Moon, light beers work best)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for brushing

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees & grease an 8.5 x 4.5″ loaf pan.

2. Whisk flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in beer & melted butter until just combined.

3. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Smooth top and brush with 1 to 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

4. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a tester comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Rotate halfway through baking.

5. Cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a wire cooling rack. Cool for 1 hour before serving, if you can wait that long to dig in.

One last thought…is there anything cozier than having a dutch oven full of soup simmering on your stove in your kitchen on a cold winter evening?

I don’t think so.

My biggest goal for 2010 is a fun one: I’d like to try making a new recipe every week, for a total of 52 new recipes this year. I love to cook and bake, and despite all the wonderful cookbooks I’ve collected and food magazines I subscribe to, I tend to make old favorites and standbys over and over. I’d like to get more adventurous and try recipes I’ve never made before.

So far I’ve made:
1. Buttermilk Biscuits
2. My Dad’s Pot Roast
3. Chocolate Mousse

On deck for today: Shortbread Cookies.

I will probably blog about many of these recipes, but not all of them. It would be fun to start a blog devoted to chronicling my adventures with trying out a new recipe every week, similar to Julie & Julia. However, with all my other goals (see below), I decided I didn’t need the extra pressure.

Other goals for the year:
1. Keep the apartment very tidy and organized.
2. Learn embroidery.
3. Teach myself Calligraphy.
4. Post more book reviews.
5. Pay off my credit card.
6. Watch more movies.

As you can see, most of my 2010 goals are pretty fun. That’s going to be the theme of the year. I want to waste less time and have more fun, while being more creative. Numbers 1 and 5 will help lower stress so I can focus on having more fun. :) I’ll keep you posted on the results throughout the year.