Writer Wednesday – L.S Burton

Let’s welcome author L.S. Burton to Writer Wednesday on the blog!! I haven’t had a chance to read any of Lee’s books yet, but the book cover (below) alone for his novella, Ella, looks compelling and heart wrenching!

Made by L.S. Burton

For my Made By Meghan recipe, I bring you Beer Bread — buttery, delicious, utterly versatile, and, best of all, absolutely simple to make.

I’m not much of a cook or a baker, but I’m a world class eater, and this is my go-to for potlucks, book clubs, and just generally being a hungry writer, wracking my brains and perpetually shoveling my driveway.

Credit where credit is due. Though I first learned of this recipe from a friend, I’ve since backtracked it to Rebecca Crump’s blog.

This same friend, whenever my beer bread got kudos from people at events, would invariably hover around where it was being discussed, chewing on her lip, until the pressure grew too great and she had to remind everyone that it was originally her creation, which I had since borrowed. And just recently my lovely foodie girlfriend, feeling under the weather, asked if I could make her a loaf for a potluck of her own. I was happy to dash off a couple loaves for her, which were then well received. – Lee

Beer Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (Note: Feel free to reduce to 1/4 cup.)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-x-5-x-3-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  3. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer into the dry ingredients until just mixed.
  4. Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Slide a baking sheet onto a lower rack to catch any butter that might overflow from the loaf pan.
  5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

The recipe being versatile, I substitute regular butter for the unsalted the recipe calls for, and then omit the tablespoon of salt. I’ve also learned that, while it almost seems counterintuitive, ordinary beers make for better results than craft beers; and while whole wheat flour is usually more valued as a dietary choice, regular flour seems to produce more flavorful results.

I’ve added cranberries, partridge berries, and cinnamon to good effect. Goes wonderfully with wine, tea, and a variety of cheeses. But be careful, it’s a heartbreaker. There’s never any left to take home after a party, so it’s best to make two.

I hope you enjoy.

Lee

Um, this recipe sounds a little dangerous to me! As in, why make two when you can make three and eat one all to yourself before anyone gets home and even realizes you’ve baked … ahem, but maybe that’s just me.

————————

Ella

Ella bookcover by L.S. Burton

Synopsis: A biography of an imaginary friend. Isabella adores her little girl, Ella. She loves to let Ella cut her hair, loves Ella’s delight at petting the lions in the zoo. She can’t understand why Ella, when she gets older, grows cold towards her. Isabella begins to feel as if she doesn’t matter anymore, that she doesn’t exist. As time passes, Isabella comes to realize that this may, in fact, be very close to the truth.

Author photo L.S. Burton
L.S. Burton lives in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, where he works as an author and freelance editor. Though his stories are diverse, they all revel in the music of words and celebrate imagination. In 2011, Burton was awarded the Percy Janes Award for Best Unpublished First Novel in the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Competition for his novel Raw Flesh in the Rising. In 2013, he branched out into science fiction with his first installment of his genre-defying This Land series.
Catch up with Lee online at his website or on Twitter