earth chef: pineapple peanut bread

Pineapple Peanut Bread

This is my first bread post, PINEAPPLE PEANUT BREAD, long story as to how I got here with this bread. I have been making fruit bread for many years, Banana nut, strawberry, blueberry, mango, date, apple, cranberry and yes pineapple, but not pineapple peanut and not made like this. I was at my local farmer's market a few days ago and bought a case of strawberries, a pineapple (had to have it. It was nice and ripe), and a five pound bag of shelled spanish peanuts. I buy these peanuts often, I roast them, candy cote them, use them with vegetables, salads, great snack, high protein, I like toasted peanuts. I also make fruit bread often, I bought the strawberries to make bread, I developed a way to keep the strawberries from looking so bad, spoiling so fast and tasting so much better in my strawberry bread. Long story longer, I have always wanted to use peanuts with fruit bread instead of pecans, walnuts and almonds. I was getting ready to make the Strawberry Walnut bread and noticed the pineapple was really ripe and I needed to do something with it first. Flash, I have fresh pineapple and plenty of peanuts, Pineapple Peanut bread anyone. I did it and used the same process for the pineapple as I use with the strawberries, toasted the peanuts and wolla "Pineapple Peanut Bread". It taste a lot like pineapple upside down cake with a peanut crunch. My oldest sister came by to pick up some red beans and sampled the "Pineapple Peanut Bread", she is a big fan of my fruit breads, the best yet she said. Needless to say I'm a loaf short, I gave her the short loaf.
You must keep in mind I am retired and have a lot of time on my hands and love experimental and fusion cooking. I used everything fresh, pineapple and peanuts being the time killer. Of course you can use canned pineapple chunks (no sugar added, drain liquid) and roasted unsalted peanuts. I always use butter but you can use oil or shortening, I like the taste of real butter.
Take eggs and butter from refrigerator before you start. Much better at room temperature. If you're using frozen pineapples, get out now.
*NOTE: Peanut skins have an abundant amount of natural antioxidants and a high content of dietary fiber, says new study. Even different types of roasted peanut skins, such as light-roasted or dark-roasted, contain these high amounts. Adding peanut skins to foods, such as peanut butter, can increase its nutritious content. However, they will tint the cake (dough) around the red skin, so if appearance is important to you, use skinned peanuts. Also, roasting the peanuts a little longer will insure longer crunch. It's a peanut thing!

Print Recipe

300 degree oven

Ingredients

3 cups pineapple chunks, fresh, canned or frozen (See Directions for Fresh Pineapple below)
2 pinches of cardamom (optional)
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/4 cup of sugar

Batter

3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted or (oil- shortening)
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup roasted peanuts

Get your eggs and butter out of the refrigerator before you start, better at room temperature. If using raw peanuts, roast now.

DIRECTIONS

OK, let's get the pineapple cooking. This has been a major development for me (cookin fruit before adding to Bread), I know, what took me so long, just making pie, right. If you're using fresh, cut into chunks, if you're using canned, drain the cans, frozen, you should have them thawed or thawing. Put pineapples into saucepan with sugar, cardamom and lemon extract, put on eye, medium high until you get a good simmer and the sugar breaks down a little-stirring often. Reduce heat,cook until the liquid thickens, 20 minutes or so, continue stirring often. set aside. If you're using fresh peanuts, roast at this time, if you haven't already.

While the pineapple is cooking, put flour, salt and soda in large mixing bowl and combine.

In smaller bowl wisp sugar and butter, as I have stated in cookie post, you can blend, fluff with emersion mix or regular mixer or with a fork (the old fashioned way). Both have benefits, your choice, add eggs one at a time and mix well. Pour liquid from pineapple in with sugar- butter- egg mixture-mix well. Add pineapple chunks to flour mixture, YES, flour mixture- mix well. This will coat the pineapple and keep them from adding more liquid to batter, keep bread from sticking to pan. Add peanuts- mix well Slowly add liquid mixture to flour mixture, mix until a good consistency. Evenly divide between two 5x9 heavily greased pans.

Anytime you're using juicy fruit, heavily grease pans, the fruit will liquify while cooking and cause flour to stick to bottom, adding the pineapple to flour coats (seals) the fruit and the moisture is absorbed in flour coating and cooks around it. Science? Not only have we helped to prevent this problem by cooking the pineapples, we enhanced appearance, taste and add shelf life. I use this process with strawberries as well. On the other hand , I do not cook apples but I do add the fresh apples to the flour mixture before adding the liquid mixture, of course you could cook them. Experiment, it's all good, personal preference.

Bake in 300 degree oven until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 60 to 90 minutes, depending on oven, convection, etc. cool in pans for 10 15 minutes and turn on wire racks and allow to cool completely, I wrap mine in plastic wrap, it helps the marinade. OK, cut a small piece and taste, then cut a large piece and enjoy! As with all fruit bread it is much better the next day and the next if it last that long.