Recipe: Peach Pecan Bread

PEACH PECAN BREAD

"Light and very delicate. This sweet bread can be frozen and sliced one slice at a time to serve with coffee or tea. It is also perfect as a dessert cake."

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Powdered sugar
For the Glaze:
1 large peach, mashed to produce 3 tablespoons juice (discard pulp)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, and set aside.

In an electric mixer, cream the shortening, sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy.

Measure flour, and sift; then re-measure flour by spooning lightly into a cup. Re-sift flour with baking powder and salt. Beat the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Stir pecans in by hand. Pour batter into the loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until loaf tests done. If loaf appears to brown too fast, place a loose sheet of aluminum foil on top of the loaf. Remove loaf from the oven, leave in the pan, and pierce the entire surface of the loaf with a cocktail pick.

Combine the ingredients of the glaze in a small saucepan, and heat to dissolve the sugar. Spoon the hot glaze over the hot loaf of bread.

Allow to cool for 45 minutes; then turn out of pan, and dust the top with powdered sugar.

Source: Positively Peach Recipes by Gene Westbrook