Apricot Almond Loaf Recipes

APRICOT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Soak apricots in warm water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, cream the sugar, butter and egg. Stir in orange juice. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into creamed mixture just until combined. Drain apricots well; add to batter with nuts. Pour into a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing to a wire rack.

APRICOT-ALMOND GIFT BREAD

Steps:

• Pan preparation:
• Butter the pan(s) or spray with butter-flavor nonstick vegetable spray and dust with flour. Tap out the excess flour.
• Make bread:
• Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and wheat germ. If using a food processor, add the apricots and a generous tablespoon of the flour mixture to the bowl and pulse until the fruit is cut into small (¼-inch) bits. Or, cut up the apricots with oiled kitchen shears or an oiled knife. Scrape the apricot bits into the bowl with the flour. Chop the nuts and add them to the dry ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, nectar or buttermilk, and extracts. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the oil-egg mixture. Whisk or stir just to blend well; don't over mix.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling them about two-thirds full. Bake 60 to 65 minutes for a large loaf, 40 to 45 minutes for small loaves (or for the time indicated for your altitude in the chart below), or until the bread is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan(s) on a wire rack.
• Make icing:
• To make the icing, whisk together the sugar and liquid in a small bowl until thick and smooth. When the bread is completely cooled, drizzle the icing over the top; it will harden as it dries.
• Cooks' Note
• Icing measurements stay the same at all elevations, but if you are baking the bread at high altitude, follow the adjustments below.
• If baking at 3,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon. Decrease baking soda to ¼ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon. Increase to 2 large eggs. Place rack in center of oven; bake large loaf at 375° for 50-55 minutes, baby loaves for 30-35 minutes.
• If baking at 5,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon. Decrease baking powder to 1¼ teaspoons plus ⅛ teaspoon. Decrease baking soda to ¼ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons. Increase to 2 large eggs. Increase apricot nectar (or buttermilk) to ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons. Place rack in lower third of oven; bake large loaf at 375° for 48-50 minutes, baby loaves for 35-40 minutes.
• If baking at 7,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons. Decrease baking powder to 1¼ teaspoons. Decrease baking soda to ¼ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to ¾ cup. Increase to 2 large eggs. Use buttermilk, not nectar, and increase to 1 cup. Place rack in lower third of oven; bake large loaf at 350° for 60-62 minutes, baby loaves for 30-35 minutes.
• If baking at 10,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2¼ cups. Decrease baking powder to 1¼ teaspoons. Decrease baking soda to ⅛ teaspoon. Increase salt to ½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to ¾ cup minus 1 tablespoon. Increase to 2 large eggs. Use buttermilk, not nectar, and increase to 1 cup. Place rack in lower third of oven; bake large loaf at 350° for 60-65 minutes, baby loaves for 32-37 minutes.

ALMOND APRICOT BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Set aside 1 tablespoon baby food for glaze. In another bowl, beat the egg, 3/4 cup milk, oil, 1 teaspoon almond extract and remaining baby food. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in almonds and apricots. , Pour into a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. , For glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, reserved baby food, and remaining milk and extract until smooth. Drizzle over bread.

APRICOT ALMOND BREAD ( BREADMAKER 1 1/2 LB. LOAF)

Steps:

• Measure all ingredients into bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer, adding apricots and nuts with flour.
• Process in basic/white bread cycle; light or medium/normal color crust setting, depending on how your machine bakes.
• Remove baked bread from pan; cool on wire rack.