Sugarplum Spice Bread Food

SUGAR PLUM BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, combine dried plums, water and 2 tablespoons sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat; let stand until plumped, about 10 minutes. Drain plums, reserving fruit and liquid. Measure liquid, adding enough water to yield 1/2 cup. , Cream shortening and remaining sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with cooking liquid; fold in cooled dried plums (batter will be thick)., Transfer batter to a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

MY MOTHER-IN-LAW'S PLUM BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.
• Sprinkle chopped plums with 1 tablespoon of flour in a bowl, and toss to coat. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the margarine, white sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. In another bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cup of flour with salt and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, alternating with yogurt until the mixture forms a smooth batter. Lightly stir in the flour-coated plums, and pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with brown sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pan for slicing.

PLUM BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a bundt pan or loaf pans.
• In a large bowl, mix together vegetable oil, white sugar, eggs, plum baby food, and food coloring. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and nuts.
• Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Transfer batter to prepared pan(s).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. (Smaller loaf pans will take less time.)
• Remove from oven to cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove and place on cooling rack.
• While the cake is cooling, combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Brush over top while cake is still hot.

SUGARPLUM BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 cup warm water in large mixer bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. Let stand 10 minutes, then stir well.
• Add 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter or margarine, salt, lemon rind, and 2 cups flour. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed with electric mixer. Add 2 cups more flour and eggs; beat 3 minutes. Stir in almost all remaining flour, using enough flour to make a soft dough.
• Knead dough on floured board until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl. Cover with greased waxed paper and a tea towel. Let rise in warm place 75 - 85 degrees F (25 - 30 degrees C)until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, and knead in raisins, candied fruit, and nuts. Shape into two round loaves. Place each in a well greased, 9 inch, round cake pan. Cover with tea towel. Let rise in warm place until doubled, 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
• Bake at 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) for 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Cool on wire racks.
• Mix together confectioners sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons water, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spoon onto loaves. Decorate with cherries or almonds. Alternatively, dust loaves with confectioners sugar.

SUGARPLUMS

Steps:

• Put the almonds, plums, apricots, and figs into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 20 to 25 times or until the fruit and nuts are chopped into small pieces, but before the mixture becomes a ball.
• Combine the powdered sugar, anise seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, cardamom, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the nut and fruit mixture and the honey and mix using gloved hands until well combined.
• Scoop the mixture into 1/4-ounce portions and roll into balls. If serving immediately, roll in the coarse sugar and serve. If not serving immediately, put the balls on a cooling rack and leave uncovered until ready to serve. Roll in the coarse sugar prior to serving.
• The Sugarplums may be stored on the cooling rack for up to a week. After a week, store in an airtight container for up to a month.

SUGARPLUM BREAD

Steps:

• Soften yeast in water.
• Combine scalded milk, sugar, oil and salt.
• Cool to lukewarm.
• Stir in 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat vigorously.
• Add eggs. Beat well.
• Stir in softened yeast, vanilla and spices. Blend.
• Add chopped fruits, peels and nuts alone with enough flour to make soft dough.
• Turn dough out on a well-floured board.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes.
• Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface of the dough.
• Cover and let rise in warm place 2 hours.
• Punch down.
• Divide dough in half.
• Let rest 10 minutes.
• Shape into 2 round balls.
• Place on greased baking sheet.
• Pat tops to flatten lightly.
• Cover and let rise again for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in warm place.
• Bake in 350F oven for 30 minutes.
• Frost.
• Decorate with whole red cherries and slivers of green candied cherries to form a ring.

SUGARPLUM SPICE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 4 cups flour, yeast, cardamom, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Heat milk to 120 degrees F-130 degrees F; add to creamed mixture and beat until moistened. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a heavily floured surface. Sprinkle with fruit and raisins; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.
• Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divided into eight portions. Shape into loaves. Place in eight greased 5-3/4-in. x 3-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
• For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost loaves.

APRICOT TEA BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. , Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Fold in apricots and pecans. , Spoon into two greased 8x4-in. loaf pans. For topping, combine flour and sugar in a small bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter. , Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.