apricot breadPreparation time : 15 mins + 6 hrs. Cooking time | Serves 6 persons

Generally bread is baked in oven but in this recipe apricot walnut bread is prepared in the crock pot hence its name crockpot bread. Though the cooking time is more than baked breads but the taste is great and the bread would be softer as it cooks on steam.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dried apricots
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 tbsp orange peel (grated)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup walnuts (coarsely chopped)
1 cup orange juice

Procedure:

1. Cut apricots in smaller pieces, to chop apricots easily and avoid sticking dust your knife with flour timely.
2. In a mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients including flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add wheat flour in the sifted mixture.
3. In a separate bowl beat milk, oil and egg for 2-3 mins until become foamy.
4. Now gradually add the dry mixture to the egg mixture and mix using wooden spatula to make smooth batter.
5. After that fold the chopped almonds and apricots in the batter and pour this batter into the greased loaf pan.
6. Now in a crock pot place a rack inside and transfer the loaf pan on this rack. Cover the lid loosely so that excess steam may escape easily. Cook the bread on high for 6hrs. (approx.) until bread become set completely.
7. After that cook the bread to room temperature and pour the orange juice over the whole bread to make it soft.
8. Serve the bread after chill for just 30 mins.

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