2.4.11 Apricot Bread

I finally amassed all the ingredients to make one of my favorite breads:

Apricot Bread (based on the version in Beard on Bread)

Preheat oven to 350F.

2 cups [loosely packed] dried California apricots (on the east coast these are harder to find - most everyone carries the Mediterranean which won't make the bread I like).

1 cup boiling water, poured over the apricots to soften them. Wait about 30 seconds and then start pulling the apricots out of the water and start chopping them. I usually just pull a few at a time out, but if they are getting mushy, go ahead and fish them all out at once. Save the water.

Measure the water - add enough to have a full cup of water again.

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 c sugar

2 eggs

Mix water, soda, sugar and eggs together.

2-3/4 c flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 c black walnuts (As with the California apricots, the black walnuts are needed for the proper taste. They're somewhat hard to find around here, but my sister gave me a package for Christmas. )

Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide batter into pans equally. Bake for 45 minutes (until risen and dark golden). Let cool on a rack and enjoy.