Fresh Mango Bread

I'm new to the baking blogging world. To get myself inspired and educated, I subscribe to over 100 baking blogs out there and try my darnedest to keep up with all of them. Every Tuesday, I can expect an extra special treat in the form of the baking group, Tuesdays with Dorie. A recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours is selected every week and many of these blogs are members. So every Tuesday, they post about that week's selected recipe. I love reading about all their different variations on the recipe and looking through all the delicious photos of their creations. Hopefully, some day soon, I too will be a member of this group. Stay tuned...

So last week, my mom randomly said "Deanna, would you like some Mangos?" Well, yes, I would love some mangos! They are one of my favorite fruits which makes this time of year super-awesome because they are in season. I guess she had a bunch delivered to her as part of a food delivery program she received as a Christmas gift from her boss. When she handed them over, I immediately thought of the Fresh Mango Bread recipe I had seen posted about over and over a few weeks ago on the Tuesdays with Dorie group. I had to try it. My plan was simple, bake the bread on Saturday and bring it to brunch on Sunday to share with my parents as a "thank you" for the yummy mangos. The bread is DEE-Licious! So moist with big, fat chunks of soft mango. Every once in a while, you'll taste the subtle lime flavor and it's just heaven!

This recipe was posted by Kelly of Baking with the Boys. I've made my changes to the ingredients but copied the instructions word for word. She got the recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking (mentioned above):

Fresh Mango Bread

3 large eggs

3/4 flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar

2 cup diced mango (took me 3 mangos to get this much)

3/4 c moist, plump golden raisins

Grated zest of 1 lime

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other. (This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over-baking).

Whisk the eggs and oil together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Rub the brown sugar between your palms into the bowl, breaking up any lumps, then stir it in. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, switch to a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon and mix until blended — the batter will be very thick (really more like a dough than a batter) and not easily mixed, but persevere, it will soon come together. Stir in the mango and zest. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake the bread for 1.5 hours, or until it is golden brown and a thin knife inserted in to the center comes out clean. (If the bread looks as if it’s getting too brown as it bakes, cover it loosely with a foil tent). I did this at 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before running a knife around the sides of the pan and unmolding. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack. Once almost cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and leave out on the counter overnight. The plastic will lock in the moisture.

Wouldn't you know it? After we devoured this delicious bread that I can't say enough good things about, my mom handed me a bowl full of cherries. Look for my next post to be of the Fresh Cherry Pie variety...