I forgot how incredibly good this bread is— until this morning when I pulled it out of the freezer for breakfast. My Mom and Dad came up to catch the kid's last performance of the Christmas Carol and since breakfast wasn't ready when they arrived (big surprise), I went to the freezer for a little something to tide us over. I made these loaves before Thanksgiving and I'm telling you, they tasted as good as the day I made them. Quick breads are a nearly foolproof baking adventure (except when I forgot the baking powder and ended up with dog biscuits) and I highly recommend having a few loaves of this bread in your freezer. It's like a beautiful slice of the holiday season— aromatic spices, chestnuts and spiced rum.
Persimmon & Chestnut Bread
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp vanilla
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup spiced rum
1/2 cup orange juice
3 persimmon, pureed
1 pear, pureed
1 cup chestnuts, toasted and chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 large or 7 small loaf pans.
Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla, rum, orange juice, persimmon and pear purees and mix thoroughly. Fold in the cranberries, crystallized ginger and chestnuts. Bake for an hour (if using large loaf pans) or 30 minutes (if using small loaf pans). The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. This bread freezes beautifully, make sure to wrap it well and it'll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
