Cooking Lesson #1091: Butter-Pecan Nutty Quick Bread

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Here are flavors to die for—toasted pecan loaf and brown butter glaze… the perfect finishing touch for this easy stir-and-bake pecan loaf.
 
My quick bread has everything you want: a velvety crumb studded with buttery pecans and a brown butter glaze that offers a subtle nuttiness, complementing the dark brown sugar in the loaf itself. It’s sweet, but not overly so, making it a good fit for breakfast, a brunch treat or even a great dinner dessert, toasted and topped with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of freshly whipped cream.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Bake time:  1 hour 10 minutes+
Cool time: 3 hours
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients 
For the bread
1 cup unsalted butter
No stick baking spray
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large room temperature egg yolk
3/4 cup room temperature sour cream
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup lightly toasted rough chopped pecans, divided
Brown butter glaze (see recipe below)

For the glaze
2 tablespoons brown butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon water, plus a little more, if necessary
 
Directions
To make the bread

1. Carefully cook the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until solids are caramel colored and the butter has a nutty aroma, about 7 to 9 minutes.
2. Transfer the butter to a heat-proof bowl.
3. Let the butter stand until cool to the touch, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. Preheat an oven to 350° F.
5. Coat an 8-1/2- x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan with pan release spray.
6. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides.
7. Set the prepared pan aside.
8. Place 3/4 cup cooled brown butter in a large bowl; reserve 2 tablespoons in a small bowl for the Brown Butter Glaze.
9. Add and whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt into the brown butter until well combined.
10. Gradually whisk in the flour and baking powder until nearly combined.
11. Fold in 2/3 cup of pecans just until combined.
12. Spread the batter in prepared loaf pan.
13. Top with 1 tablespoon toasted pecans.
14. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center of bread comes out clean, 65-70 minutes, loosely covering with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning.
15. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes.
16. Using the parchment as handles, carefully remove bread from pan;
17. Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours.
18. Discard parchment; transfer bread to a platter.
19. Drizzle the Brown Butter Glaze evenly over cooled bread.
20. Top with the remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons of pecans.

To make the brown butter glaze

1. Melt the reserved brown butter and add to a medium bowl.
2. Whisk the sifted powdered sugar, water and sour cream until smooth.
3. Whisk in up to 1 tablespoon water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

-------------------------------------------
ChefSecret:  If using a metal loaf pan, double up on the pan to prevent the bottom from getting too dark.
-------------------------------------------
Quip of the Day:  A Blonde was down on her luck.
In order to raise some money, she decided to kidnap a kid and hold him for ransom. She went to the playground, grabbed a kid, took him behind a tree and told him, "I've kidnapped you." She then wrote a note saying, "I've kidnapped your kid. Tomorrow morning put $10,000 in a paper bag and put it under the pecan tree next to the slide on the Northside of the playground. Signed, A Blonde.”

The Blonde then pinned the note to the kid's shirt and sent him home to show it to his parents.
The next morning the blonde checked and sure enough, a paper bag was sitting beneath the pecan tree.
The Blonde opened up the bag and found the $10,000 with a note that said, "How could you do this to a fellow Blonde?"
-------------------------------------------
Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #Dessert #QuickBread #ButterPecanNuttyQuickBread #ButterPecan #BrownButter #BrunchBreads #BreakfastBreads #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                              ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

---