|
|
|
|
|
How to Bake Quick Bread: Apricot-Orange Nut
We love moist, fruity quick breads--and this is one of our favorites. It's nutty, flavorful, and full of wholesome ingredients. We would like to share this recipe with you and demonstrate the baking principles for wonderful quick breads. The definition of quick breads is imprecise. Often cookbooks classify muffins, coffeecakes, and biscuits as quick breads--not just those moist loaf breads made without yeast--breads like banana nut bread and date nut bread. And there is a thin line between quick breads and cakes. Quick breads contain less sugar and fat than cakes. They usually, but not always, contain fruits or nuts to add flavor and moisture and make up for the low percentage of fat and sugar. When we refer to quick breads, we're talking about loaf-shaped breads without yeast. There are two major makeup methods for quick breads--the muffin method and the creaming method. In the creaming method, we cream the fat (butter or shortening) with the sugar until light and then add the other ingredients. In the muffin method, we mix the liquids and the dry ingredients separately and then stir them together until just combined. Today, we will look at the muffin method. In preparation, grease an 81/2-by 41/2-inch loaf pan. Dust the pan lightly with flour by placing a spoonful in the greased pan and jostling it about by tapping the pan against the heel of your hand. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack placed in the center of the oven. Your pan should have an even coating as shown. Here are the ingredients that we will use in our liquid mix: 3/4 cups very hot water 1. Heat the water until very hot, nearly boiling. You can do so in the microwave. Pour the water into a large bowl. The bowl should be large enough to mix the batter in. 2. Add the butter. 3. Dice the apricots into 1/4-inch pieces and add them to the hot water. 4. Grate the outer skin from an orange until you have a tablespoon full. You only want to get the orange peel without scraping deep enough to get the pithy white second layer, which is bitter. Add this zest to the hot water mixture. 5. Squeeze the juice from two oranges. Add 3/4-cup of the juice to the liquid mixture. 6. Stir in one large egg. Use a fork to mix the egg well. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: 1/2 cup sugar Make sure that they are thoroughly mixed. We like to use a large whisk. 7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir with a large spatula until just combined. If it is mixed too much, the action will develop the gluten in the flour and the bread will not be as tender as it should be. (We don't like to make muffins and quick breads with our electric mixer.) 8. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven. Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes or until the bread tests done. When it is done, a skewer or large toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean. 9. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Invert the pan and remove the loaf to finish cooling on the wire rack. If the bread does not come free easily, the top edges of the loaf are probably bound to the pan. Try lifting the edges away from the pan with a sharp knife. Store the bread in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to a week. This bread, like most quick breads, is much better served the next day. The bread can also be frozen. Peach Variation. This bread is just as good with dried peaches instead of apricots. For more articles like this visit The Bakers' Library. © 2004 The Prepared Pantry
MORE RESOURCES:
Recipes - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
So, You Have A Crockpot - Now Youll Want Crockpot Recipes To those of us that don't know, crockpot recipes are among the best out there! Did you receive a crockpot as a gift at your wedding shower or perhaps as a birthday gift and have no idea how to use it? Crockpots are great kitchen tools that offer a convenience like none other. Many meals from basic chicken recipes to fancy Christmas recipes can be made in the crock pot. Easy Spaghetti Recipes Spaghetti has always been a favorite family meal. My teenage daughter will eat leftover spaghetti for breakfast, lunch, and as a mid-afternoon snack. Weight Loss Recipe: Apricot Chicken Just because you are watching your weight, doesn't mean the whole family can't enjoy your health enhancing meals! The kids will love "Apricot Chicken" and you will love it because it is so low in calories and fat!Long term weight loss isn't about hunger, misery and crash dieting. It's a whole new way of learning to prepare nutritious food that your body needs and enjoys. Swiss Cheese Fondue Ingredients600g white bread (I recommend baguette or any other kind of white bread with a lot of rind)600g Swiss cheese (e.g. The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Experience Just about everyone loves freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Many of us have fond memories from our childhoods of the aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies filling up the house. Easy-Cheesy Casserole I have always loved mac-n-cheese, and this variation is one of my favorites!1 pound of browned hamburger1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese2 cups cooked macaroni (or egg noodles; I prefer to use egg noodles myself)Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top1 can cream of mushroom soupCombine hamburger and macaroni (or egg noodles) in a large baking dish.Add cream of mushroom soup and mix well. My Mothers Recipe Box Remember the days when cookbooks weren't so readily available, and you or your mother relied on only one or two different cookbooks for cooking all of your family's meals? I still have my mother's old cookbooks, as well as my grandmother's. Each one is worn from age and use--if you flip through the tattered pages it is obvious which recipes were turned to time and time again. Provence Steak Recipes Want an international flair for your steaks? Try a Provence steak recipe. These are delicious steak recipes that anyone will enjoy if they like meat at all. Farm To Market Days Summer may begin in June but, for many parts of the country, gardens don't reach their peak until August. Modern grocery stores manage to keep us satisfied with produce year round, but there is nothing like the flavor of farm fresh tomatoes, peaches, or sweet corn. Easy Gourmet Recipes You and I can do! So, you don't think you can find easy gourmet recipes? Yes, you can! While most people think that gourmet recipes are hard to make, time consuming, or too expensive, you can find things that are gourmet and easy to make. You just need to look in the right places and know what you are looking for! First of all, finding information on gourmet recipes on the Internet is easy to do. Weight Loss Recipe: Oven Fried Chicken Enjoy the sensation of fried chicken without the extra calories of deep frying. This recipe is sensational either hot or cold and is great for taking to work to avoid the unwanted 'canteen calories'. Swiss Chard - What Do I Do With That? Originally, all foods were "organic" - grown and prepared without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, irradiation to prevent spoilage, and microwave cooking.Our food these days, whether of vegetable or animal origin, is not only deficient in nutrients but also full of pollutants and farm chemicals. Limes Limes were originally grown in Asia,introduced by the Arab traders to the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa and then brought to Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers. They are a great source of vitamin C and their zesty flavor refreshes the palate. Cucumbers with Yogurt & Mint Almost every day I eat with my energy in mind, but I don't let that be the end of it. I take what I have learned about what works best for my body and take it one step further in order to connect with the changing seasons!While there are many effective ways to get more energy and build your productivity, I've found it very important to pay attention to the seasons. Rib-Eye Steak with Mushrooms and Bleu Cheese This is a mouth watering steak. Every time I serve this in the restaurant the customers rave. Raisin Roll Delight Ingredients:¾ cup cold water plus 2 Tablesps (very important)6 Tablesps butter (¾ stick) ¾ cup vital wheat gluten flour 1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose wheat (white) flourtrace of salt (two light shakes or to taste)1 ½ ounces of raisins3 eggs *1 egg whitePreheat oven to 425F. Have ready one large, nonstick, heavy-gauge metal cookie sheet. Tayberry Jam The taste of Summer, bursting with flavour and anti-oxidant effects. Tayberries are a Raspberry / Blackberry cross that combines the best of both. Zucchini Carrot Salad Summer is nearing and it is time to start thinking about serving succulent garden grown or farm fresh salads. This zesty Zucchini Carrot Salad recipe is certain not to disappoint you or your guests as it is an attractive meal to dish out after a hot summer's day! No cooking is involved; consider serving it with bread, if so desired. Oregano Dressing - Good for Allergies An Individual Health Recipe to EnjoyAs the weather becomes warmer our bodies naturally turn to lighter dishes and raw foods. Here is an excellent dressing that is a great alternative to the sugar -based dressings located in most grocery stores. Looking for a Great Italian Meatball Recipe? Looking for a great Italian meatball recipe? Wrap your lips around this one.The Best Meatball RecipeCan be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
