Orange Chocolate Tea Bread

This isn’t really bread. It’s closer to a pound cake with ambition. Butter, sugar, eggs, and half-and-half make the base rich and tender, while orange zest and a splash of orange liqueur (Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec) thread citrus through every bite. Chopped walnuts and semisweet chocolate chunks get folded into the batter for texture and pockets of melted chocolate throughout.

The batter will look curdled when you add the half-and-half. That’s normal. The fat in the cream and the butter temporarily separate, but once the flour goes in, everything smooths out. Don’t overmix at that stage or you’ll develop gluten and the bread will be tough instead of tender. Stir just until the flour disappears.

The chocolate glaze on top is what takes this from good to special. Three ounces of semisweet chocolate melted with water and the remaining tablespoon of orange liqueur creates a thin, pourable ganache that sets to a glossy shell once chilled. Spread it while it’s still warm and fluid so it self-levels across the top.

Pro Tips

• Cool the loaf completely before glazing. Warm bread melts the chocolate glaze and it slides right off the sides.
• Chop the chocolate into irregular pieces rather than uniform chips. You’ll get different-sized pockets of chocolate throughout, with some pieces melting into the batter and others staying chunky.
• Test doneness with a toothpick at the one-hour mark. The top should be golden and the toothpick should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
• Store in the refrigerator once glazed so the chocolate stays firm.

Variations

• Swap walnuts for toasted hazelnuts for a Nutella-inspired flavor combination.
• Use dark chocolate instead of semisweet for a more intense, bittersweet flavor in both the bread and the glaze.
• Add a tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the batter for a mocha-orange twist.