Dried Fruit and Nut Bread.
Not as heavy as traditional holiday fruitcake: Instead of the fresh fruit, roughly chop 3/4 cup any dried fruit, alone or in combination.
Makes 1 loaf
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, plus butter for the pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 11/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup fruit juice, like orange or apple, or milk
- 1 tablespoon minced or grated orange or lemon zest
- 1 egg
- 1 cup any raw fruit or vegetable: small berries left whole, anything else peeled and grated or chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with butter.
- Stir together the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into bits, then use a fork, 2 knives, or your fingers to cut or rub it into the dry ingredients until there are no pieces bigger than a small pea. (You can use a food processor for this step, which makes it quite easy, but you should not use a food processor for the remaining steps or the bread will be tough.)
- Beat together the juice, zest, and egg. Pour into the dry ingredients, mixing just enough to moisten; do not beat and do not mix until the batter is smooth. Fold in the fruit and the nuts, then pour and spoon the batter into the loaf pan.
- Bake for about an hour, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.
Credits to: howtocookeverything.com
