Description
Festive Eggnog Bread is a delightful holiday treat that combines the rich, creamy flavors of traditional eggnog with warm spices and a moist, tender crumb. This sweet quick bread is studded with optional walnuts or pecans and dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries, making it a perfect festive addition to your seasonal baking. Easy to prepare and baked to perfection, this bread offers a cozy taste of the holidays in every slice.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup eggnog
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Add-ins
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the bread.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Set this dry mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 3 to 5 minutes using a hand or stand mixer.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Add Eggnog and Vanilla: Pour in the eggnog and vanilla extract, mixing the ingredients until everything is well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring carefully just until combined. The batter should remain slightly lumpy to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the bread.
- Fold in Optional Nuts and Fruit: If using, gently fold the chopped nuts and dried fruit into the batter evenly.
- Fill the Loaf Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula to ensure an even bake.
- Bake: Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread; it should come out clean when the bread is fully baked.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- To avoid overmixing, stir the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing can result in dense, tough bread.
- For extra festive flavor, consider adding a pinch of ground cloves or allspice to the spice mix.
- Use full-fat eggnog for the richest flavor and moist texture.
- If you don’t have eggnog, you can substitute with a combination of milk and heavy cream with a splash of rum extract.
- Store leftover bread wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- This bread freezes well; wrap tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
