This delicious tea bread recipe calls for a favorite new product: Stony Brook Butternut Squash Seed Oil (available at Whole Foods or on-line), and favorite fruit: dried apricots.  Fall would be a more logical time to combine squash and stone fruit, but the sunny colors of the oil and apricots plus the rich scent of the baking bread “say” spring is here; summer’s on the way. It can be served warm, 10 – 15 minutes out of the oven, toasted with butter and apricot jam, or iced with an almond or vanilla glaze. However, you’ll be struck by the richness of the squash seed oil in contrast to the sweet tartness of the apricots.

Butternut Apricot Tea Bread

Preheat the oven to 350F; prepare two loaf pans by lightly spraying or wiping them with oil.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup (6 oz.) dried apricots

2/3 cup water

2 cups (12 oz.) GF flour mix (yours, ours, or Trader Joe’s)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon xantham gum

1/2 cup Butternut Squash Seed Oil (http://www.wholeheartedfoods.com/pumpkinseed-oil-shop.htm) Substitute extra light olive oil or vegetable oil if you prefer.

7/8 cup (7 oz.) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

3 extra large eggs

3/4 cup almond milk, room temperature

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare the loaf pans by lightly spraying or wiping with vegetable oil.

2.  In a small sauce pan bring the water and apricots to boil.  Cover, turn down the heat, and simmer until the water is absorbed by the fruit. Set aside.  Chop the apricots finely when the fruit is cool enough to handle.

3.  In a medium mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients, excluding the sugar, and whisk to blend.

4.  In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the granulated sugar and molasses.  Add the eggs and beat on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes or until it’s lemon colored and increased in body.

6.  Slowly drizzle in the squash seed oil (it’s fine to use extra light olive oil or vegetable oil).

7.  Alternately add the dry ingredients and almond milk in 2-3 portions each, scraping down as needed.  Try not to over mix.

8.  Add the chopped apricots, taking care to fold them in evenly.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

9.  Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until the bread is lightly browned and has just pulled away from the edges of the pan.  Cool for 10 – 15 minutes before turning out of the pan.  It’s fine to leave the bread in the pans until completely cooled.

Note: store well wrapped in the refrigerator and heat or toast when serving the next day.

Enjoy this special treat!

Weighing the apricots

Measuring the dry ingredients

Delicious new squash seed oil

Blending the sugar and molasses

Creamed sugar and eggs

Chopped apricots – I incorporated some darker Blenheims

Slowly drizzling the oil

Alternately adding the almond milk and flour mix

Folding in the fruit

Batter ready to go

Pouring into prepared pans

In the oven

Half a loaf went to Ann

True confessions: had a warm pre-dinner slice

Beautiful and delicious fresh Butternut Apricot Bread!