Cheery quick bread tastes like a bite of springtime

The first cherries of the season have arrived – just in time for Mother’s Day. This cheery cherry-orange bread will brighten anyone’s day.

Sweet, juicy fresh cherries float in every slice. Pecans contribute some contrasting crunch. Butter and buttermilk give this quick bread a nice soft crumb. Orange zest and orange glaze add some zing.

To keep the cherries and nuts from collecting at the bottom of the pan, dust them with flour before folding them into the batter.

Cherry-orange quick bread with pecans and orange glaze

Makes 1 loaf (about 12 servings)

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups fresh sweet cherries, stemmed, pitted and halved

1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, separated

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

¼ cup butter (½ stick), room temperature

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 tablespoon orange zest

2/3 cup buttermilk

½ cup pecans, roughly chopped

For glaze:

½ cup powdered sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grease or spray bottom and sides, then line with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.

Prepare cherries. Wash, stem, pit and halve cherries. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1-1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, combine sugar and butter. Add eggs; beat on medium speed until smooth. Add almond extract and orange zest; mix until combined.

With a wooden spoon or similar, gradually add flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture, stirring well after each addition. Stir in buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, combine cherries and pecans. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of flour; toss until cherries and nuts are lightly dusted.

Fold cherries and pecans into batter; it will be thick. Spoon batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing with the back of the spoon.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 60 minutes or until top is golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Remove bread from oven and let rest 15 minutes in the pan.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Sift powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Gradually add orange juice, a little at a time, while whisking until smooth and the desired thickness.

Remove bread from pan and peel off the paper. Drizzle or brush glaze over the top of the loaf. Let rest at least 30 minutes before serving.

Slice and serve.

Wrap leftover bread and refrigerate. This bread also freezes well.