Old Fashioned Orange Pecan Bread

This recipe was popular when I was a little girl.  It was made in the bakery of a popular department store and was one of their best sellers.  A long time ago, the recipe was published in the local paper and I have made it ever since.

First, toast 1-1/2 cups of pecans just until they become aromatic.  Set them aside to cool and roughly chop them.

Pour 2/3 cup of sugar and 1 cup of milk into your mixer bowl.

Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla and 3 tablespoons of melted butter.

Add the zest of 1 orange.  Beat until combined then add 2-1/2 cups of flour, 4 tsp. of baking powder and 1 tsp. of salt.  Beat to combine. (Make sure you use baking powder and not baking soda so you don't have to throw the whole batch out.  I'm not saying how I know this.)

Add the toasted pecans.

Pour the batter into a buttered loaf pan.  Bake it at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.

Remove it from the pan and cool it on a rack.

Wrap it and keep it on the fridge.  The flavor actually improves over the next few days.