A sweet scone loaf that’s not just for the holidays

People either love or hate marzipan. Made with only a couple of ingredients (sugar, honey, ground almonds and sometimes almond extract), it does have quite a concentrated flavor. It’s more widely used in other parts of the world than here in the United States, mostly used during the Christmas season in breads and cakes, covered in chocolate as sweets or molded into small figurines. I bake with it throughout the year, adding it to toppings of two of my favorite summer fruit pies, and a couple times a year in baked treats.

The following is adapted from a Molly Yeh recipe in Kristen Miglore’s cookbook “Food52 Genius Recipes,” which is a collection of recipes from lots of different bakers, cooks and chefs; it’s a favorite cookbook of mine. This recipe is basically a loaf-sized scone, with the crispy, sugary crust giving it that scone-like texture. I added currants and halved the amount of marzipan in the recipe below. Some other combinations I have used: candied orange peel, chocolate chips and Grand Marnier; dried cherries, chocolate chips and marzipan; apricots and marzipan, or just currants and golden raisins. You could probably even make a savory loaf by leaving out the sugar and adding cheddar cheese and sauteed leeks.

The batter comes together quickly. Turn on the oven and by the time it’s preheated you’re ready to put it in the oven. It isn’t even necessary to bring the ingredients to room temperature, in fact Yeh says it’s better if the milk, eggs and butter are cold. One trick that saves time is to get the parchment paper to line the pan more easily by getting it wet. Maybe you know this already, but I just recently learned about it from a Jamie Oliver video.

Dry parchment paper is very convenient for keeping cookies and other treats from sticking to a baking sheet. No need for the additional step of greasing the pan. It’s an entirely different situation, though, if you’re baking with a loaf pan because unless you cut the paper (for the bottom and then another piece for the sides), it doesn’t lie flat and it springs out of the pan. To stop that from happening, tear off a piece of parchment paper large enough to hang over the sides of your loaf pan by about an inch and then scrunch it up into a ball. Give it a quick soak under the faucet. Unfold it and shake off the excess water. Now place it in your pan. There will be a few beads of water on the paper — no problem, the important thing is that the parchment paper will stay in the pan and no greasing is necessary.

Claudia Alexander, a resident of Marin County, has been happily cooking for family and friends for more than three decades. She has a food blog, sweetbynurture.com. You can contact her at sweetbynurture@gmail.com.

Recipe

Chocolate Marzipan Scone Loaf

Makes 1 scone loaf

Ingredients

4 ounces marzipan, chopped into small pieces

½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips

¼ cup dried black currants

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon demerara sugar for sprinkling on top

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

½ cup buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note: An easy buttermilk substitute: Add 1 scant teaspoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk. It will start to bubble and thicken and be ready in about five minutes.

Directions

Position the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with the wet parchment paper (instructions above) and set aside.

If you don’t have buttermilk, make it in a measuring cup by adding ½ cup of milk and ¾ teaspoon of vinegar. Set aside to steep.

In a large bowl, add the chopped marzipan, chocolate chips and currants. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the top and toss to coat.

Next, add the flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple times to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse about 15 times until the butter is approximately the size of peas. Toss this on top of the marzipan mixture.

Mix the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl or measuring cup, and add it to the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold until just until combined. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan.

Sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over the top and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and springy to the touch. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool completely and cut with a serrated knife to prevent the loaf from crumbling.

This loaf is best eaten the first day, but it’s also wonderful toasted with a pad of butter on day two. If you used chocolate chips, don’t put it in your toaster — it will make a mess. Use the broiler in your oven, or a toaster oven.

— Adapted from Molly Yeh’s recipe