Savoring the South with Orange Praline Quick Bread

Recently, my husband, three children and I traveled from our home in Minnesota to South Carolina. We stayed on Hilton Head and visited both Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. When my sister-in-law, Kristen, initially learned of our vacation plans, she grew very excited. She and her husband got engaged in Charleston, so the city holds a special place in her heart. Perhaps more significantly, Kristen loves the pralines she first discovered in Savannah. She knew our trip might be an opportunity to get her favorite treat!

Before our trip, Kristen called to wish us a good time. She also gave us a gentle reminder to remember the pralines. We received three calls from her during our vacation, all with the "don’t forget the pralines" theme.

We loved our time visiting these two charming cities. The rich history, quaint cobblestone streets, moss-draped trees, mild climate, and little girls with big bows and smocked dresses were all delightful. And you can be sure we did not come home empty handed. Unfortunately for Kristen, we discovered how much we loved pralines, too. She is lucky there were any left to share when we returned home.

The pralines were a delicious treat, but at $17.99 per pound and with an extravagant amount of calories and fat grams, I am glad that I don’t have easy access to them in my home state!

I came across this Land O’Lakes recipe for Orange Praline Quick Bread and knew it would be a great way to relive the memories of our time in the South. The bread combines a delicious orange flavor with a brown sugar glaze topping.

To make Orange Praline Quick Bread, you will need flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, sour cream, butter, eggs, orange peel, vanilla and chopped pecans.

To start, heat the oven to 350 and grease 4 mini loaf pans (5-3/4x 3-inch) or 1 (9x5-inch) loaf pan.

Grate the orange peel. I used my zester but any fine grater will work.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, sour cream, butter, eggs, orange peel and vanilla.

Beat at medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until the dough is well mixed.

Reduce the speed to low. Beat, gradually adding the flour mixture, just until moistened.

Stir in 1/2 cup of pecans.

Spoon the batter evenly into the 4 mini loaf pans or 1 larger loaf pan. My pans are new and I always get excited to use new pans for the first time!

Bake the mini loaves for 28-33 minutes or the larger loaf for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the loaves for 10 minutes and then remove them from the pans. Presto! It is important to check each loaf of bread to see if it is done. One loaf here may have not been completely done since it "dips" in the middle. That is often a sign the loaf needed a few more minutes of baking time.

It’s time for the finishing touch, the delicious glaze. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine 1/4 cup butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar.

Cook over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture comes to a boil.

Spoon the glaze mixture over the warm loaves.

Immediately sprinkle the bread with ¼ cup pecans.

The Orange Praline Quick Bread was a smashing success. The orange flavor is delightful and the pecans and crusty brown sugar glaze create an interesting texture. The smaller sized loaves lend themselves to sharing. You can be sure we found a willing recipient for one of the loaves. I will revisit this recipe whenever we are craving this special Southern treat.

Do you love pralines? If so, give Orange Praline Quick Bread a try, and come back and let me know what you thought about this recipe.

Check back in a few days when Liz will share a chocolatey bar recipe.

Tami is paid to write for the Land O’Lakes Recipe Buzz® Blog.