Bonus Recipe: One of my favorite Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen

I found this recipe in a Gifts from the Kitchen Cookbook about 3 years ago.  It is wonderfully easy to make, freeze and give as gifts.  I have modified for my family's tastes as well as most of our friends.  The modifications are in the amount of cheddar cheese and the amount of black pepper.  Both are increased amounts and the higher end of the ground black pepper is used if I do not use sharp cheese.  Also other variations we have tried is to change the cheddar to other types of hard grated cheeses. 

My families' favorites other than the sharp cheddar cheese are a smoked provolone and a jalepeno cheddar cheese.  With the latter, I found that using only jalepeno cheese was too strong for me and so the next batch I used half plain cheddar and half jalepeno.  Bill, however, loved it!
Cheddar Pepper Bread

Ingredients:

·        2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
·        2 tsp baking powder
·        1 tsp baking soda
·        2 ½ cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
·        3 - 5 tsp fresh ground black pepper
·        ¾ tsp salt
·        2 eggs
·        8 oz. non-fat plain yogurt
·        ½ cup of melted butter

Directions:

 
1.      PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees.
2.      GREASE and FLOUR a 4 ½ x8 ½ inch loaf pan.  Baker’s Joy or Pam Baking Spray with Flour work well for this application.
3.      In a large bowl, MIX flour, baking powder, baking soda, cheese, pepper and salt until well blended.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Set aside.
4.      In a medium bowl, MIX eggs, yogurt and melted butter.
5.      POUR yogurt mixture into the well of the dry ingredients.
6.      STIR until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
7.      SPOON the mixture into the loaf pan.
8.      BAKE for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
9.      COOL loaf pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
10.  REMOVE from, SLICE and serve.  WRAP in foil and will keep in fridge for up to 5 days.

FREEZING OPTION:

·         REMOVE from loaf pan.
·         WRAP in plastic freezer paper and foil.
·         FREEZE up to 4 months.
·         REHEAT in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes after bread has thawed.