Toffee-Orange Bread

While looking for something to bake I ran across this recipe. One of the good things about having a variety of cookbooks is that you can usually find something new to try.

Of course, the reverse side is that you have a large amount of cookbooks to look through.

Anyway, I tried this quick bread and it was a success. Everyone liked it and it was quite easy to make. The one thing that might trip you is the 2 teaspoons of orange peel, as it calls for canned oranges. I used some of the orange peel I had frozen. If you have to buy a orange for the zest, juice and freeze the juice for another time. I didn’t have quite enough toffee bits on hand, so finished up the amount with finely ground pecans. That seemed to work quite well, and I believe I will do that the next time I make this. As you can see by the picture, no one wanted to wait until it was cool, so the slices are a little ragged. Everyone thought it tasted just fine warm.

Toffee-Orange Bread

Makes 2 loaves (16 slices each)

2 cans (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments, drained, saving ½ cup juice

1 cup sugar

⅓ cup vegetable oil

¼  cup milk

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼  teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup English Toffee Bits (not the chocolate coated ones)

   Heat oven to 400°. Grease bottoms only of two 8x4 inch loaf pans or one 9x5 inch pan with shortening or spray bottoms with cooking spray.

Cut orange segments in half.

   In large bowl, beat reserved orange juice, sugar, oil, milk, orange peel, vanilla and eggs, with a fork.

Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda just until flour is moistened. Fold in oranges and ½ cup of the toffee bits. Divide batter between pans. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup toffee bits.

   Bake 8 inch pans 50 to 60 minutes, 9 inch pans 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes ub pans on wire rack.

   Loosen sides of loaves from pans, remove to wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days.

 Betty Crocker Soups and Breads