Holiday Fruit Bread

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Holiday Fruit Bread

 

Recipe By : Vegetarian Times Magazine, December 2000, page 26

Serving Size : 32 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Breads, Quick Fruits

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup chopped prunes

1 cup ruby port -- up to 1 1/2

Fine yellow cornmeal for dusting

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

plus extra for sprinkling

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Milk for glaze

 

MAKES 2 LOAVES (ABOUT 16 SLICES EACH) CONTAINS EGG AND DAIRY

 

These lovely loaves are shaped like stollen, the traditional German holiday

bread. But it's a quick bread, not a yeasted one as stollen is, so you can

make it in just a fraction of the time. If you'd rather not use the port

to soak the fruit, simply use apple, orange or apricot juice.

 

1. In shallow bowl, combine raisins, dates, prunes and enough port to just

cover. Let stand 30 to 60 minutes. Lightly oil large baking sheet and

dust with cornmeal; set aside.

 

2. Preheat oven to 375F. In large bowl. mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt,

baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Cut butter into dry

ingredients with a pastry blender or rub it in with your fingers until

mixture resembles fine crumbs; set aside. In small bowl, whisk egg then

whisk in buttermilk, vanilla and lemon peel.

 

3. Drain fruit; discard port. Add fruit to flour mixture and toss

well. Make a well in flour mixture, add buttermilk mixture and stir

briskly with wooden spoon just until dough pulls together in a mass. Let

stand 3 minutes.

 

4. Lightly dust work surface and hands with flour. Turn dough out onto

surface and divide in half. Knead each half 30 seconds then pat into

1-inch-thick circles. Brush off any flour on dough, then fold each circle

in half (but not perfectly, the top should be set back from bottom by about

1 inch.) Lightly brush loaves with milk and sprinkle generously with sugar

(about 1/2 tablespoon). Transfer loaves to baking sheet.

 

5. Bake 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F. Continue baking

until loaves are golden brown and crusty, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer

loaves to wire rack and cool completely before slicing. To store, wrap

cooled loaves in foil and refrigerate.

 

PER SERVING: 124 CALORIES; 3 G PROTEIN; 2 G TOTAL FAT; (1G SAT. FAT) 25 G

CARBOHYDRATE; 10 MG CHOLESTEROL; 156 MG SODIUM; 1 G FIBER

 

 

 

 

 

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