All
American Fruit and Nut Quick Bread Recipe
Use
this great recipe to make the fruit and nut quick bread of your choice.
You can mix and match your fruit and nut selections to suit your taste
and what you have on hand. It is not overly sweet and works well for
breakfast or brunch. It incorporates a modest amount of whole wheat
flour to enhance the flavors of the nuts and add a wholesome goodness
and color to the bread.
Save time! Make
quick breads from proven mixes—from Cranberry Nut to Brick Alley
Bread. Click
here.
Most quick bread
recipes can also be used to make muffins. For muffins, fill prepared
muffin tins 2/3’s full and reduce the baking time to 15 to 20
minutes. To make muffins from a mix, click
here.
Quick breads store
very well. To see how, click
here.
Quick breads can
also be used for French toast and for some very interesting sandwiches.
You can even toast quick bread slices for a fast morning snack. For
other French toast ideas, click
here.
To get a free copy
of “Ingredients and How They Work”, click
here.
All American Fruit and Nut Quick Bread Recipe
2 1/4 cup pastry
flour (all-purpose flour may be substituted)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
7/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup chopped or slivered nuts
1 cup dried fruit pieces
1 large egg
1/3 cup cooking oil
2/3 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 to 1 teaspoon extract
(7/8 cup sugar
is 3/4 cup plus two tablespoons. If you would prefer a sweeter loaf,
use a full cup of sugar or substitute milk for the water.)
Bakers’
note: The more sugar in the quick bread recipe, the browner
the crust. If you substitute milk for the water, the lactose—which
is a sugar—will cause a little more browning.
Directions
Preheat the oven
to 350 degrees.
1. In a large
bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (except for the fruit and nuts).
Stir in the fruit and nut pieces.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg with a fork. Stir in the cooking
oil, milk, water, and extract.
3. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. With a spatula, mix
the two together until moistened. Do not over mix—over mixing
will develop the gluten in the flour and make for a tougher bread.
4. Scrape the batter into a well-greased 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan.
Spread the batter evenly in the pan. The loaf will tend to rise in
the center so make sure that enough batter is pushed to the edges
for a more uniform loaf.
5. Bake for about an hour to an hour and ten minutes or until done.
Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into a crack in the center
of the loaf. The toothpick will come out clean when done. Remove from
the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Quick breads
are best if stored overnight in a cool place. The flavor of the fruit
is developed and dispersed by storage and the bread tends to be moister.
Apricot
Nut Bread
Use dried apricots
snipped into small pieces. Use 1/2 teaspoon orange or rum extract
or one teaspoon vanilla extract. Add 1 teaspoon orange zest.
Blueberry
Lemon Nut Bread
Use frozen or
fresh blueberries but do not add them until last so that the berries
do not discolor the batter. Keep the blueberries frozen until they
are added to the batter. Use one teaspoon lemon extract and one teaspoon
lemon zest.
Apple Walnut
Bread
Use dried apples
snipped into small pieces. Use one teaspoon vanilla extract. Use chopped
walnuts.
To make apple
bread in a bread machine, click
here. To make apple bread with yeast instead of in a quick loaf,
click
here.
Cranberry
Nut Bread
Use dried cranberries.
Use 1/2 teaspoon orange extract and one teaspoon orange zest.
To make cranberry
nut bread in a bread machine, click
here. To make a cranberry nut bread with yeast instead of in a
quick loaf, click
here.
Would you like
exceptional cranberries for your baking? Click
here for cold-processed cranberries (not available in stores).
Cherry Almond
Bread
Use dried cherries
and slivered almonds. Use one teaspoon almond extract.
Printable
Version
Related
Topics
Irish
Soda Bread
Cranberry
Nut Bread (yeast)
Cranberry
Nut Bread (bread machine)
Knobby
Apple Bread (yeast)
Knobby
Apple Bread (bread machine)
Northwoods
Cranberries
