Apricot Almond Quickbread
Submitted by Newfie2
Apricot almond quickbread with toasted almonds, dried apricots, and a hint of almond extract. A tender, no-yeast loaf that mixes up fast and fills the kitchen with a warm, nutty fragrance.
YIELD
1 loafPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsThis apricot almond quickbread is a one-bowl loaf with real personality. Dried apricots get a quick soak in boiling water to plump them back up, toasted almonds add crunch throughout, and a touch of almond extract ties everything together with that unmistakable marzipan-like flavor.
The key to a tender quickbread is restraint with the mixing. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten, and that turns a soft loaf into a tough, bread-like brick. A few streaks of flour in the batter are completely fine.
Draining and patting the apricots dry before folding them in matters more than you’d think. Excess moisture creates soggy pockets in the crumb. You want those pieces to stay as distinct bursts of tangy sweetness throughout each slice.
Kitchen Tips
- Toast almonds in the oven while it preheats. Watch them closely after the 5-minute mark since they go from golden to burnt fast.
- Let the loaf rest in the pan for a full 10 minutes before turning out. Quickbreads are fragile when hot and will crumble if unmolded too soon.
- Slice with a serrated knife for the cleanest cuts. A straight blade tends to compress the crumb.
- This bread slices and freezes well. Wrap individual slices in plastic for quick breakfast portions.
Variations
- Swap dried cranberries or cherries for the apricots for a tart twist.
- Add a streusel topping of butter, flour, and sugar before baking for a coffeecake finish.
- Use hazelnut extract and chopped hazelnuts instead for a Frangelico-inspired loaf.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. If the almonds are not already toasted, spread them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F/180C for 5 to 10 minutes or until light brown.
Chop dried apricots. The easiest way to do this is to cut them with scissors. Place apricot pieces in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Allow them to rest for 10 minutes while preparing the batter.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Stir together well. Stir in the almonds.
Combine the eggs, milk, melted butter and extracts. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir only until blended.
Drain the apricots and pat dry with paper towels. Stir them into the batter. Spoon the mixture into a buttered 8-inch x 4-inch/1.5-L loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Allow the loaf to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool.
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