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Everyone has their comfort zone in the kitchen. Maybe you make a mean meatloaf or the very best chocolate chip cookies. Maybe your spaghetti sauce has garnered a reputation around your neighborhood. For me, quick breads, muffins and scones are my jam because they come together quickly, and I can experiment with ways to make them a bit healthier by incorporating some whole grains and much less sugar than is often called for in the original recipe.

Sometimes, in my endless tweaks, I come up with a real winner, a recipe I'll keep coming back to for a long time. Such is the case with this almond-fig breakfast loaf.

A good breakfast bread has a few qualities, in my humble opinion: It's not too sweet, it has some source of fiber or protein so it'll sustain you for a bit, and it's seasonal and delicious. I like to slice, toast and serve this bread with butter, but it's great all on its own with a cup of strong coffee or tea.

As for ingredients, I used half whole-wheat flour, a large handful of protein-rich almonds and almond meal, and I got the sugar down to 1/2 cup. I opted for the darker flavor of coconut sugar, which is almost caramel-y, but if you can't find it, feel free to use a turbinado or another natural cane sugar. If you're not an almond fan, feel free to use any chopped nut (or seed) you prefer.

The streusel topping may seem a bit heavy at first, but trust me in that you want to use it all. It kind of sinks into the loaf as it bakes, and gets all toasty and fragrant. It's the perfect little cap to each slice, and you'll be happy you had a generous hand with it.

The best part about making this quick bread is slicing into it for the first time; each section is really beautiful with the bits of fig, almonds and crumb topping. While I love baking and giving things away to friends, I find this loaf is always one that's hard to part with -- even if it's just a few slices.

Almond-Fig Breakfast Loaf

Serves 8

For the streusel topping:

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