Apricot Almond Gift Bread Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Cut the bread into 3/4-inch squares. Combine the milk, vanilla and almond extract and toss with the bread in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch ceramic tart pan or 2-quart baking dish. Arrange the apricots in the dish. Remove the soaked bread from the refrigerator and beat with a whisk or an immersion blender until it becomes a mush. Beat in the egg yolks, almond flour, cinnamon and honey.
• In a clean, dry bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, begin beating the egg whites on low speed. Gradually add the sugar, turn up the speed to high and whip until the egg whites form a soft meringue, about 1 minute. Be careful not to overbeat, as you do not want the mixture to dry out.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the bread mixture. Scrape into the baking dish. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.
• Bake 40 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.

Steps:

• BREADMAKER METHOD.
• Sift and combine the all the dry ingredients except egg replacer powder.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg replacer powder (or eggs) with about 1/2 a cup of the water, until frothy. Add remaining wet ingredients, withholding about 1/4 - 1/2 cup water, and combine.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together. Add extra water slowly, around 1 tablespoon at a time, until batter is the correct consistency - thicker than a cake batter, but not as thick as cookie dough. Spoon into the pan.
• Set the breadmaker to the setting recommended by the instructions specific to your model. If there are no such instructions try either the 'Basic' setting or the 'Rapid' setting. If your breadmaker is programmable, set it to skip the second kneading, as this is not necessary for GF breads. Another option, for breadmakers with a 'Bake Only' setting, is use the 'Dough' setting and then the 'Bake Only'.
• Add fruit and nuts when the "add-ins" beep sounds or at the very end of mixing.
• If your your breadmaker does a reasonable job of mixing, it is possible to add the wet ingredients to the pan and than add the combined dry ingredients (or vice-versa, depending on the model). If using this method, about 5 minutes into mixing you will need to check that all the flour has been mixed in thoroughly and, if not, scrape the sides and base and stir with a rubber spatula. At this time check the consistency and add extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. If the mixture is too wet, try adding a little extra flour.
• Again, add fruit and nuts when the "add-ins" beep sounds or at the very end of mixing.
• Remove the bread from the machine as soon as it is cooked and don't leave in the machine during the 'Keep Warm' cycle. Turn out from pan after a few minutes and cool on a wire rack.
• *If your breadmaker has a removable blade, you can also try this : Mix the batter until smooth, mix in fruit and nuts, remove the blade from the pan, place the dough in the pan and cook normally. This way you avoid the big hole in the bottom of the bread and also avoid the second kneading.
• HAND METHOD 1.
• Sift and combine the dry ingredients except egg replacer powder.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg replacer (or eggs) with about 1/2 a cup of the water until frothy. Add remaining wet ingredients (withholding a little water as explained above).
• Add wet ingredients to dry and mix slowly. When combined beat on high until batter is smooth, adding more water slowly if required.
• Add fruit and nuts at the very end of mixing.
• Spoon into a loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draught free position to rise for about 1 hour. (If you can't find a warm position, a very low oven can be used.)
• Remove plastic wrap, and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 50-60 minutes. (A skewer placed into the centre of the bread should come out clean.) Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
• *If you find the bread is becoming too dark, you can loosely cover it with foil part-way into cooking.
• HAND METHOD 2.
• Dissolve 1 tablespoon of the sugar in 1/2 a cup of the luke warm water. Add the yeast and set aside to proof for 10 minutes.( The mixture should become frothy.)
• Sift and combine the dry ingredients except egg replacer powder.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg replacer (or eggs) with about 1/2 a cup of the water until frothy. Add remaining wet ingredients (withholding a little water as explained above). Add proofed yeast.
• Add wet ingredients to dry and mix slowly. When combined beat on high until batter is smooth, adding more water slowly if required.
• Add fruit and nuts at the very end of mixing.
• Spoon into a loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draught free position to rise for about 1 hour. (If you can't find a warm position, a very low oven can be used.)
• Remove plastic wrap, and bake at 190°C (375°F) 50-60 minutes. (A skewer placed into the centre of the bread should come out clean.) Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
• *If you find the bread is becoming too brown, you can loosely cover with foil part-way into cooking.

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.

Steps:

• FOR THE BREAD ~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees F & grease a 9"x5" loaf pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder & salt.
• Set aside 1 tablespoon of the baby food for a glaze.
• In another bowl, beat together the egg, 3/4 cup milk, oil, 1 teaspoon almond extract & the remaining baby food, then stir this mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.
• Fold in the almonds & dried apricots & pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
• FOR THE GLAZE ~ Combine the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the apricot baby food, 1 teaspoon of milk & 1/8 teaspoon of almond extract, mixing until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled 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.