Basic Nut Bread & variations

Submitted by: jej
Last Updated: 3/11/2005

These recipes come from one of my most favorite bread books, "Breads of the World," by Dolores Casella. The author writes, "This is a gem of a recipe--a nut bread so simple that it can be whipped up in just minutes, and yet I've never tasted a better plain nut bread. Each of the variations is as simple as the basic recipe, and each makes a deliciously different bread."

BASIC NUT BREAD

1 1/2 to 2 cups white sugar or brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or very soft butter
1 3/4 cups milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 cups chopped nuts

1. Combine the sugar, melted (or very soft) butter, milk, and eggs. Stir until well-blended.

2. Sift salt, flour, and baking powder. Add the nuts and stir them through the flour so that they are well-coated.

3. Stir the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened.

4. Pour the batter into 2 well-buttered loaf pans and let stand for 20 minutes.

5. Bake in a 350 degree F. oven until browned and done, about 1 hour. Be sure to test the loaves before removing from the oven. A toothpick or cake tester thrust into the center of the bread should come out clean.

VARIATIONS:

APPLE-BUTTER NUT BREAD. ...Substitute apple butter for the milk, and use 4 eggs. If desired, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and use half brown and half white sugar.

APPLESAUCE NUT BREAD. ...Use canned applesauce in place of the milk of the following recipe, Basic Nut Bread. If the batter is too thick, thin with another egg. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and use half brown sugar and half white.

BUTTERMILK NUT BREAD. ...Use 1 1/2 cups buttermilk instead of the 1 3/4 cups milk. Use 3 eggs. Use 1 teaspoon soda and 4 teaspoons baking powder instead of 2 tablespoons baking powder.

CRANBERRY NUT BREAD. ...Decrease baking powder to 1 tablespoon and add 1 teaspoon soda to dry ingredients. Substitute orange juice for milk. Last, fold in 3 to 4 cups chopped fresh cranberries blended with 2 tablespoons grated orange rind.

FILBERT BREAD. ...Use brown sugar and buttermilk, and make the nuts chopped filberts or slivered Brazil nuts. Add 1 teaspoon soda, and decrease baking powder to 4 teaspoons.

FRUIT-NUT BREAD. ...Omit the milk and use 1 cup each orange juice and mashed bananas. Use 1 cup of candied fruits in place of 1 cup nuts, if desired. This makes a good holiday bread.

HAWAIIAN NUT BREAD. ...Use brown sugar. Omit the milk. Drain 2 cans mandarin orange slices (or mandarin orange slices and pineapple tidbits), and add water to the liquid to make 1 1/2 cups. Combine the fruit and 3 1/2-ounce jar chopped macadamia nuts. Stir into the dry ingredients. Follow directions in Basic recipe, adding 1 tablespoon grated orange rind, if desired. Very good.

JAM OR MARMALADE NUT BREAD. ...To basic recipe add 3/4 cup of any stiff jam, preserve, or marmalade.

PEANUT-BUTTER BREAD. ...In the basic recipe, replace the chopped nuts with 2 cups crunchy peanut butter. Use only 4 1/2 cups flour.

PUMPKIN NUT BREAD. ...Omit milk and use 1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin. Use 3 eggs and add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and the grated rind of 1 lemon.

SOUR CREAM NUT BREAD. ...Substitute sour cream for milk. For leavening use 4 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon soda. Add 1 teaspoon each vanilla and grated lemon rind or orange rind. Bake 1 1/4 hours.

SWEET ORANGE SLICE. ...Add 1 tablespoon grated orange rind, and use 1 cup chopped candied orange slices in place of 1 cup of nuts.

WHOLE-GRAIN NUT BREAD. ...Use 1 or 2 cups whole-wheat or graham flour, in place of as much white. Or use 1 cup bran flakes in place of 1 cup of the white flour. When using whole-grain flour, use brown sugar as half or all the sugar. If desired, 1 cup rye flour could be used. Any nuts or combinations of nuts may be used. Chopped papaya can be added to the basic recipe. And dates or raisins are delicious (about 1 1/2 cups chopped dates or raisins to 1 cup chopped nuts). Any kind of fresh berries, in amounts up to 2 cups, could be used. One or 2 cups of fine dry breadcrumbs can replace the same amount of flour. If all brown sugar is used, you have a delicious Butterscotch Nut Bread. Candied fruit can replace part or all of the chopped nuts. For an Olive Bread, good with buffets, omit the sugar and add 2 cups slliced ripe olives. All of these ideas have been tried and enjoyed.