Nuts and raisins Quick Bread

A while ago, we found a recipe in the newspaper for a whole wheat, nut filled Quick bread. I made it a couple of times now, and tonight I felt like having it again. It has tasted different all three times! That's because the main source of nuts has changed - the first time I used boxed granola and muslix cereal mixed together, the second time, I used walnuts and pecans and tonight I used a combination of peanuts, raisins and home-made granola. I still liked the first one best, but tonight's was almost as good. I ate it for dessert. And, oddly enough, my biggest raisin-hater had two pieces! I guess he liked the nuts.

This is a very hearty loaf. One piece is so full of nuts, raisins and whole wheat flour that you'll fill up in no time! A far cry from the delicate and soft yeast rolls I told you about a month ago.

Here's the recipe from the paper:

Hearty Nut Quick Bread

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups white flour

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1/2 cups rolled oats

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup cold butter

1 cup nut&seed trail mix

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup craisins

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk together first 7 ingredients.
• Cut in cold butter until it looks like coarse meal.
• Chop the nuts and seeds to chop the larger nuts.
• Add nuts, seeds & fruit to the mixture. Mix.
• In a small bowl, whisk egg into buttermilk.
• Pour wet into dry and mix until almost combined. Then tip onto a floured surface and knead it all together. Split into 2 balls.
• Place each ball on a baking sheet. Cut large, deep "X" in each.
• Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes. (Or longer, in my experience. Check that a toothpick comes out dry).

If you're looking for something hearty, satisfying and nutty, give this one a try. It is easy and well worth trying! Crunch, Crunch!