What's Baking: Peach Bread

Time for another What's Baking post!  This month's challenge was to make a quick bread.  Quick breads are breads that are not made using yeast--since there's no rise time, they're quick to make!  I made this one in one bowl, so the cleanup was quick, too!

I have been subscribed to Horse and Buggy, a CSA, since the spring.  Basically, I pay a set amount to have whatever produce the lovely folks at H&B are currently harvesting delivered to my door each week!  The freshest local produce, delivered right to my door!  It doesn't get any better than that!  We also get meat and eggs from them, too.  If it weren't for dairy, I'd never have to go grocery shopping any more!  It has been a fun challenge trying to come up with meals that use up the produce, and it has been really interesting seeing how the offerings change seasonally.  Colder-weather veggies, like winter squashes, have started to appear in the box, and last week was the last week for fruit boxes.  I took advantage of the opportunity and used my end-of-the-season peaches, nectarines, and raspberries in a delicious quick bread to fit the What's Baking challenge!

I forgot to soften my butter, so I swapped it out for canola oil.  I don't recommend this.  I could REALLY taste the difference, and the butter is SO important to complement the delicate flavor of the peaches and raspberries.  So, don't forget to soften your butter!  You can always throw it in the microwave for 10 seconds, in a pinch, if you forget, though!  Also, the original recipe called for orange juice concentrate, but I wanted to make it really peachy, so I substituted peach wine.  You could use milk, a sweet white wine, syrup from a can of peaches, peach nectar, or the original orange juice concentrate, instead!

Peach Bread (adapted from Food.com)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons peach wine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 medium peaches, diced
• 1 clamshell raspberries

Cream together butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Beat in vanilla extract and peach wine.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir dry ingredients into the wet ones until mostly combined.  Gently fold in fruit.

Pour batter into a 9x5" loaf pan that has been greased and floured.  Bake at 325* F for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Wrap up and deliver to friends!  ;)

You could also bake this as muffins, for a change!  That's the great thing about quick bread batters--they're very versatile!