Orange-Apricot-Walnut bread

The ultimate best thing of having vacation is that I have all the time to nose through my cookbook collection, search peacefully for my perfect recipe, prepare all my stuff untroubled and start baking in complete harmony, of course still wearing my pyjamas, filling the house with lovely, sweet aromas.
And today, a new free day, I was in the mood to make this absolutely gorgeous orange-apricot-walnut bread.
This pandolce is another recipe from La Dolce Vita and is normally being eaten on Easter.

It is a deliciously, just perfect bread packed with flavor. The orange rind really gives it a unique taste. It’s soft, with a good crunchy crust and so beautiful with that topping. Because of the great amount of nuts and fruit, the bread is dry and compact, but at the same time moist and soft. Easy, healthy and very tasty!



Orange-Apricot-Walnut bread

- 115 g dried apricots
- rind of one unsprayed orange
- 55 g butter
- 10 g fresh yeast or 1 tsp instant yeast
- 200 g flower
- 75 g fine granulated sugar
- 55 shelled walnuts, chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
topping – I doubled the amount; otherwise it was too dry - :
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 4 Tbsp orange juice
- 25 shelled walnuts
- 6 dried apricots

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 18 cm springform cake pan.

2. Cut up the apricots and grate the orange till you have all the rind.

3. Put the fruit with the butter in a saucepan and bake on low heat until all the butter is melted. Then remove the pan from heat.

4. Mix the yeast with 2 Tbsp warm water and combine this mixture with the flour, sugar and chopped walnuts. Whip in the eggs, the melted butter and the fruit until well blended. Pour this mixture in the cake pan and bake for 1 ¼ hour, until golden and dry.

5. Take the bread out of his form and let cool.

6. Make in the meantime the topping. Bring honey and orange juice to boil and leave 30 seconds, while stirring, simmering.

7. Put the walnuts and the apricots in the pan and warm them, on low heat, for about 1 minute. Place the nuts and apricots nicely on the bread. Let cool completely.