Orange Pecan Bread

I love cookbooks.

Have I mentioned this before? (*wink*)

And I love my mom.

Were it not for her, I would undoubtedly be a different person without a love for cooking, gardening, decorating, sewing, and generally creating edible and visual beauty for my family and friends.

And since each of those things means so much to me, I will be forever grateful for all that she has taught me.

Including the fact that she (lovingly) made me listen to classical music while all the rest of my classmates were rocking out to B93 and early 90s hits such as "Pump Up The Jam", "Whoomp (There It Is!)",and "Runaway Train". Probably a good thing, because otherwise, this blog might be called "Cooking with Roxette, Living with Elmo." But then again, more people probably know who Roxette is anyway...

In all seriousness, Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!

One of Mom's favorite cookbooks is The Silver Palate. She gave me a copy shortly after Chris and I were married, and it has firmly worked its now splattered and dog-eared pages into my heart.

I was flipping through it this morning and came upon this old favorite for one of the most moist, tender, and flavorful quick breads around.

Orange Pecan Bread. Ever tasted it?

Unless you have a retching dislike for oranges (hello, Beth dear), this stuff will have you licking your plate.

In truth, it's really more like a cake.

But we'll just call it a bread to make ourselves feel better, K?

Be sure to slather it with this strawberry butter. That will absolutelymake you feel better.

P.S., before you get to the recipe, if at this last minute (9:15 PM on Mother's Day Eve) you don't think your mister has any ideas about what to get you for Mother's Day, please nudge him to look at my friend Stacy's blog post, "The Perfect Gift for Your Minimialist Mom [Wife]"...even if you're not a minimalist! It will have you grinning and nodding your head in agreement!

1 loaf

8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, separated

grated rind of 1 large or 2 small oranges

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup shelled pecans, chopped

Orange Glaze (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Cream the butter. Add 3/4 cup sugar gradually, beating with an electric mixer until light. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, and the grated orange rind.

3. Sift the flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add dry mixture to the batter alternately with 1/2 cup orange juice, beginning and ending with the flour. Gently mix in the pecans.

4. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them carefully into the batter.

5. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, set on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Spoon hot syrup over the bread as soon as the bread is removed from the oven. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Combine orange juice and sugar in small saucepan and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a light syrup forms.

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