Ya. Obviously I'm not quick on testing stuff...or possibly it's because I had TEN 4" thick binders of printed recipes I wanted to try. When my life took a fairly radical turn (divorce, retirement, building a house, moving north, SS & Medicare), I sat down and went through the binders and began tossing recipes I'd never make: many were for large dinner parties and several factored in the plan to bake for farmers' markets here in NC. That idea is out the window and never coming back because I like my lazy retirement too much. But this recipe made the cut.
I rather like it. Excellent with tea or coffee for breakfast. Unfortunately, I decided to add 2 cups of frozen wild blueberries and the baking soda had a decidedly nasty reaction, resulting in an unappealing but tasty gray bread. Next time I'd either skip frozen blueberries or use fresh ones...or plump dried apricots. I also used walnuts in this bread but think whole toasted chopped almonds would go better with the amaretto. I made it in one 9x5" pan and it took at least an hour to bake...possibly 70 minutes. Can't remember, but while the edges were done, the high cracked middle took longer to bake.
Oh...I didn't use mace: I used slight amounts of cinnamon, cardamom and freshly ground nutmeg.
Amaretto Nut Bread
Makes one 9x5-inch loaf or three 6x3-inch loaves
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground mace or nutmeg
1¼ cups almonds, pecans or walnuts (Nuts should be chopped for best results.)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups sour cream (not reduced-fat version)
½ cup amaretto (apricot and almond-flavored liqueur)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour selected pan or pans. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mace or nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the nuts and stir until evenly distributed.
In another bowl, using a whisk, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the oil, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until light colored.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in three equal portions, alternating with the sour cream. Add the amaretto with one of the sour cream additions. Beat until smooth after each addition.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes for larger pan or 28-32 minutes for the smaller loaves or until the top is firm, and the loaf pulls away from the sides of the pan. Baking times may vary. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes.
Turn the loaf out on a rack then right side up to cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill overnight or for up to 3 days before serving. (Chilling time allows for easier slicing.) Wrap tightly to store in the freezer.
Source: Adapted from "The Best Quick Breads" by Beth Hensperger.
Marilyn's source was the original Gail's Swap as posted by Karen in WI on Jan 14, 1997.
I rather like it. Excellent with tea or coffee for breakfast. Unfortunately, I decided to add 2 cups of frozen wild blueberries and the baking soda had a decidedly nasty reaction, resulting in an unappealing but tasty gray bread. Next time I'd either skip frozen blueberries or use fresh ones...or plump dried apricots. I also used walnuts in this bread but think whole toasted chopped almonds would go better with the amaretto. I made it in one 9x5" pan and it took at least an hour to bake...possibly 70 minutes. Can't remember, but while the edges were done, the high cracked middle took longer to bake.
Oh...I didn't use mace: I used slight amounts of cinnamon, cardamom and freshly ground nutmeg.
Amaretto Nut Bread
Makes one 9x5-inch loaf or three 6x3-inch loaves
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground mace or nutmeg
1¼ cups almonds, pecans or walnuts (Nuts should be chopped for best results.)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups sour cream (not reduced-fat version)
½ cup amaretto (apricot and almond-flavored liqueur)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour selected pan or pans. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mace or nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the nuts and stir until evenly distributed.
In another bowl, using a whisk, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the oil, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until light colored.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in three equal portions, alternating with the sour cream. Add the amaretto with one of the sour cream additions. Beat until smooth after each addition.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes for larger pan or 28-32 minutes for the smaller loaves or until the top is firm, and the loaf pulls away from the sides of the pan. Baking times may vary. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes.
Turn the loaf out on a rack then right side up to cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill overnight or for up to 3 days before serving. (Chilling time allows for easier slicing.) Wrap tightly to store in the freezer.
Source: Adapted from "The Best Quick Breads" by Beth Hensperger.
Marilyn's source was the original Gail's Swap as posted by Karen in WI on Jan 14, 1997.
