Morning Glory Muffin Bread

Last week was crazy busy. I was working on a paper for a professor and trying to put together my application for residency. In the midst of the craziness, I still found time one morning to make this bread. This particular bread recipe I found in the March 2009 Southern Living Magazine. This was my second time to make Morning Glory Muffin Bread. My first time to make this bread was in the spring of this past year. The bread was quite a hit in the spring amongst one of my neighbors. She particularly liked the moistness of the bread as well as the pineapple and golden raisins. Anyways, I decided last week that I wanted to give little loaves of this bread away to one of my professors that helped me so much in the residency application process to say thanks. Since it was well liked in the spring, I thought it would be a safe bet.




Ingredients:
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 (8-oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 large carrots, finely grated (1 cup)
1 cup golden raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Bake pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Cool completely on a wire rack. (about 15 minutes)
2. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
3. Whisk together sugar, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; fold in crushed pineapple and carrots. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in toasted pecans and raisins. Spoon into 2 greased and floured 8- x4- inch loaf pans.
4. Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack and cool completely, about 50 minutes.

All in all, this was not my most successful baking adventure. The bread was undercooked. I managed somehow to overfill the pan in such a way that the outsides of the bread were brown and the inside was gooey. You can see in the picture above how the bread sinks in a little in the center. Alas, the first time I made it the bread was definitely better. Don't get me wrong, I will still definitely make this bread again. It is a 4.5 out of 5 star bread in my book. I loved the crushed pineapple and golden raisin combination. It is a pleasant surprise to the unaware eater. However, next time I will be more careful while filling the bread pan to not overfill.