Christmas Orange Bread
Submitted by snogee
A moist Christmas quick bread with orange juice, mashed banana, prune puree, candied fruit, raisins, and nuts, topped with a thin powdered sugar icing and glacé cherries. Freezes beautifully for gifting.
YIELD
1 loafPREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis holiday loaf is fruit on fruit on fruit, and somehow it all works.
Orange juice, mashed banana, and prune puree keep the crumb incredibly moist without relying on butter or oil. Candied fruit, raisins, and chopped nuts are folded right into the batter for color, sweetness, and crunch in every slice.
A thin powdered sugar glaze drizzled over the top and dotted with bright red candied cherries makes it look ready for a gift box.
It actually improves after freezing, so bake a few loaves early in December and pull them out when company arrives.
Kitchen Tips
- Use a wooden fork or sturdy spatula for mixing. This batter is thick and heavy with all that fruit. An electric mixer will overwork it.
- Line the pan with wax paper for easy release. This sticky, fruit-packed bread loves to cling to the pan.
- Cool for 20 minutes in the pan before turning out. Too early and the loaf falls apart. Too late and the steam makes it soggy.
- Keep the icing thin. You want a translucent drizzle, not a thick layer. Add skim milk a few drops at a time if it gets too stiff.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, nuts, and candied fruit together.
Combine and beat slightly the banana and orange juice; Set aside.
Beat eggs into prunes one at a time.
Alternately, add prune/egg mixture and banana/orange mixture to dry ingredients mixed with fruits and nuts.
A wooden “fork” works well for the mixing.
Pack into 9X5X3 loaf pan lightly sprayed with Pam and lined with wax paper.
Bake at 350o for 1 hr. or until done. Cool 20 min. before removing wax paper and turning out on a rack.
Cool before icing.
Icing: Mix powdered sugar into an egg white until smooth and easily spreadable. You want a thin icing. If you get it too thick, add a little skim milk. Dot icing with cut up candied (glace') cherries as desired. After frosting is firm, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate. Improves with freezing.
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