apricot cherry tea bread

maybe you have deduced from the lack of chocolate recipes on this blog, that i much rather prefer fruits and nuts in my desserts than chocolate. i'm sure in some circles that would make me an outcast of sorts. well, i'm not ready to retire my passion for fruit, and to celebrate the arrival of spring, i made this lovely tea bread.

first off, lets get one thing straight - this is a tea bread as opposed to a muffin or a cake. this is dense as it is an actual dough, and it holds up well to toasting if you are so inclined. and since this is a real dough, do not beat it and mix it to death. just stir gently. if you mix it too much, it is going to be tough and hard. not to mention it will have a very unappetizing texture. nice way of saying, 'NASTY'.

oh, by the way, i don't measure things when i bake either. i just sort things out as i go along and just wing it. of course, i'm not making Lauderee financiers or anything. in which case, i would most assuredly break out my severely underused measuring cups and spoons.

you can find the original recipe here.

Apricot cherry tea bread

makes 1 loaf

prep time: 15 min

bake time: 45 min

vip's:

• 3 oz dried apricots, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (i used Ener-G egg replacer)
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange peel
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/ 4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

the play:

• preheat oven to 350º F
• grease 9x5-inch loaf pan
• cook apricots & cherries in water in a covered medium-size saucepan for 10-15 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain; reserve 1/4-1/2 cup liquid. Set aside to cool
• cream together butter and sugar (i used a fork). By hand, gently mix in egg replacer and orange peel and vanilla extract
• sift together flour, dry milk, baking powder, soda, and salt. (i used a wisk instead of sifting)add to creamed mixture alternately with reserved apricot liquid and orange juice
• stir apricot & cherry pieces and pecans gently into the batter
• place batter in loaf pan
• bake for 40-45 minutes or until bread springs back when lightly touched in center
• cool 5 minutes in pan. remove from pan and completely cool on wire rack before slicing

Listening to: 'Ain't no way', by the original diva number one, Aretha Franklin, off her album, Lady Soul (1968). Love it, love it, love it!