Saturday, September 28, 2013

Weekend Cooking: Col’s Plum and Almond Bread

This must have been a banner year for plums. My daughter’s music teacher showed up with a bag. And there was a peck left in the break room with a “Please take some” sign. I love stone fruit, but I have to admit I don’t cook with plums very often. So I put the largesse to work in an infinitely malleable Mark Bittman recipe for Fruit and Nut Bread. And I have to admit the results were so good that I’d actually buy plums to make it again – so I thought I’d share.

Col’s Plum and Almond Bread

(adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
4 Tbs. unsalted butter (plus more for the loaf pan)
1 ¼ cup skim milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. almond extract
1 cup chopped plums
½ cup slivered almonds

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it’s completely worked into the flour. Place the flour mixture in a large mixing bowl. (Don’t continue in the food processor, or the bread will be tough.)

2) Whisk together the milk, egg and extracts. Fold into the dry ingredients, but don’t over mix. Next fold in the plums and any juice that have accumulated. And then fold in the nuts. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes. It’s done when skewer poked into the center comes out clean.

3) Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack. Try to keep the kids from slicing until it’s completely cool, but don’t count on it.

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21 comments:

  1. That sounds so delicious. I've had plums in clafoutis but I bet they would be great in bread.

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  2. I love fruit raw so I rarely cook with it. I think I've cooked with plums one time. This bread sounds wonderful, though!!

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  3. That may be why I so rarely cook with plums myself -- when they're in season, I just gobble them up :)

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  4. This sounds like the perfect way to use plums; I'm pinning your recipe.

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  5. Makes me wish plums were in season here!

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    1. It would also be great with the berries you've got coming soon!

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  6. Bread is my weakness! I will definitely be trying this!

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  7. I wonder if I can just leave the almonds out, my husband can't eat them. But I love the sound of plum bread.

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    1. You can definitely leave out the almonds, and add another half cup of fruit. Or add in dried fruit or poppy seeds.

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  8. Plum and almond - sounds like a good combo - must try it. Cheers

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  9. I love using plums in all kinds of baking and desserts - so excited that stone fruit season is now just a couple of months away in my part of the world. I made a variation of the Mark Bitman bread once a couple of years ago, thanks for the reminder I need to give it another whirl - as you suggest it's such a versatile recipe.

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    1. We change it up every season -- even use it for a light fruitcake around the holidays!

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  10. I love the sound of this! I love baking with fruit. This was one of the best years for plums, wasn't it?

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  11. I've not cooked with plums of any sort, problem is I don't know what type of plums are being asked for. Is it those oval shaped purple ones, or the round ones that can be red through purple in colour. What about the green ones? Does it make a difference which one? use?

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  12. As a fruit, I love plums. Have never tried cooking with plums. Your bread looks delicious.

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  13. It's funny - I have never thought of putting plums in a bread even though I often put their dried relatives - prunes and raisins - in breads. This sounds delicious!

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  14. I love breads like this - sounds like a recipe worth trying. Thanks for sharing.

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I absolutely love comments. Thanks for taking the time to share! Col