This recipe is one of several included in the Texas Monthly article From Husks Till Dawn by Patricia Sharpe, [March 2007]
2 cups flour
1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,
at room temperature, plus enough
to grease pan
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt (low-fat is fine,
but do not use nonfat)
1 recipe Quick Pear-Rosemary Preserves (recipe)
1 cup toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans with butter or nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar at medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until light and fluffy. At a lower speed, stir in yogurt, then pear preserves. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, then fold in nuts.
Evenly divide batter between prepared pans and bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out mostly clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool loaves in pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around rims of pans and invert onto racks; cool completely. May be wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature for 2 or 3 days or frozen for up to a month. Makes 2 loaves.
