Fruit Butter Quick Bread

By kathleentirpak

A vintage recipe that adapts to various types of fruit butter and nuts, such as apple butter and walnuts. This version uses cantaloupe butter and pecans. The cantaloupes used are a home-grown organic heirloom variety noted for its sweet soft pulp.

Ingredients

• Cantaloupe Butter :
• 2 cups cantaloupe pulp
• approximately 1/4 cup of water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Quick Bread Topping :
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 14 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Quick Bread :
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup fruit butter
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking-soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking-powder
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

Step 1

To make the cantaloupe butter, place 2 cups of pulp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, in a medium sized heavy pan, add just enough water to keep the fruit from sticking, about 1/4 cup, and boil until soft, mashing the pulp with a potato-masher as it cooks. Add sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon, and boil gently, stirring constantly, until thick : this will take 15-30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using spray-oil, grease 2 small glass loaf-pan baking dishes. Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and fruit butter, then add the vegetable oil, eggs, and milk. In a separate bowl, blend the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Add pecans. Spread half of the batter into each loaf-pan. Sprinkle with topping mixture. Cover loosely with tin foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake another 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the tops of the breads are nicely browned. Cool and cut into 1 inch slices, halve those, and arrange on paper towels in airtight tins.