AJ’s Mom is pulling out all the stops this year for Thanksgiving. As she is a master of the bird and the sides, I thought this year I would mix things up and bring some breakfast treats to keep us going as we baste and braise. This Apricot Nut Bread was one of my Great Grandmother Muddy’s stand-bys from Dallas, Texas. I love discovering a forgotten family favorite and cleaning it up with modern ingredients. For example, the original recipe calls for shortening. Olivio Buttery Spread makes the perfect substitute and an easy way to sneak in a little extra olive oil into our Holiday diet! Pearl sugar also adds a beautiful touch on the crown. This bread makes excellent toast, so keep your tub of Olivio close at hand! If you love a dense French Toast, this is also a great option. With my 13 month old’s naps being irregular right now, I love that this tastes similar to a yeast dough but made with Baking Powder – no need to plan too far ahead.
INGREDIENTS:
(yeilds 1 9×5″ loaf)
1 1/2 cups dried Apricots, sliced into thin strips about 1/8″ thick
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour (save 1Tbs for dredging apricots)
5 Tbs Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Egg
1 cup Buttermilk
3 Tbs Olivio Buttery Spread, melted
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
1 Tbs Pearl Sugar (optional)
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350* and use Olivio Buttery Spread to butter a 9×5″ loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together sugar, flour, baking powder and baking soda.
In a small bowl, gently beat together egg and buttermilk. Whisk in melted Olivio Buttery Spread.
Slowly add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Toss sliced apricots with the reserved tablespoon of flour. They are a
ittle sticky so the flour helps to avoid clumping. Add the apricots and the pecans to the bread batter. Gently mix.
Pour the batter into the buttered baker and generously top with the pearl sugar for a sweet treat.
Bake 50 minutes. Allow to set in pan for 5 minutes and then turn out onto wire cooling rack. Cover with wax paper to contain steam and moisture and allow to cool for an hour before slicing.
Enjoy!
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